E34 Factory Options Guide PDF

E34 Factory Options Guide
The E34
Factory Options
Retrofit Guide
Marcus Corbin
i 2010 Marcus Corbin

Ex Libris
________________________________________________
The cover illustration shows retrofitted rear headrests at the top, and their installation in progress at the
bottom.
The E34 Factory Options
Retrofit Guide
Marcus Corbin
version 3.1
2010
The author gratefully dedicates this book to Caroline and Russell,

who generously gave him the precious time needed to create it.
This document is copyrighted 2010 by Marcus Corbin.
If you would like to purchase this document in printed book form, visit
http://mysite.verizon.net/marcuscorbin
ii 2010 Marcus Corbin

Table of Contents
Foreword .......................................................................................................................... vii
Introduction: What Makes the E34 Such a Special Luxury Car? ........................................ 1
Summary of the Major E34 Options ................................................................................. 11
Project Profiles ................................................................................................................. 15
1. Headlight, Fog-Light, and Intensive Washers................................................................ 17
2. Headlight-Beam Adjusters and Headlights.................................................................... 47
3. Underhood Light.......................................................................................................... 59
4. Rain-Sensing Wipers .................................................................................................... 69
5. Automatic Air Recirculating Control.............................................................................. 79
6. Autodimming Rearview Mirror ..................................................................................... 87
7. Drivers Glove Box....................................................................................................... 93
8. Steering Wheels and Column ..................................................................................... 105
9. Fire Extinguisher and First-Aid Kit .............................................................................. 117
10. Heated Seats, Front and Rear .................................................................................. 123
11. Memory Seats, Mirrors, and Steering Column .......................................................... 139
12. Adjustable Lumbar Support...................................................................................... 173
13. Moonroof ................................................................................................................. 177
14. Rear Power Outlet.................................................................................................... 181
15. Rear Door Sunshades............................................................................................... 189
16. Rear Armrest with Storage........................................................................................ 201
17. Ski Sack ................................................................................................................... 207
18. Rear Headrests......................................................................................................... 215
19. Rear Reading Lights ................................................................................................. 237
20. Rear Window Sunshade ........................................................................................... 239
21. CD Player and Cover ............................................................................................... 257
22. Trunk Storage Bins, Tray, Straps, Net, and Mat........................................................ 261
23. Rear Fog Lights ........................................................................................................ 265
24. Accessories and Other Options ................................................................................. 283
Appendix I: Special Tools............................................................................................... 301
Appendix II: Wiring Factory Contact System................................................................ 305
Appendix III: Manuals and Reference Sources ................................................................ 307
Appendix IV: Factory Einbauanleitungen (EBA) Installation Instructions ...................... 315
Index.............................................................................................................................. 319
2010 Marcus Corbin iii

Chapter Chart
First-Aid Kit
Autodimming Mirror Ch. 9
Autorecirculation Ch. 6
Ch. 5
Rain-Sensing Wipers
Ch. 4
Underhood Light
Ch. 3
Headlight Adjusters
Ch. 2
Headlight Washers
Ch. 1
Drivers Glove Box

Ch. 7
Steering Wheels
Ch. 8
Fire Extinguisher
Ch. 9
Front Heated Seats

Ch. 10 Memory
Ch. 11
Lumbar Support
Ch. 12
iv 2010 Marcus Corbin

Moonroof
Ch. 13 Rear Power Outlet
Ch. 14
Door Sunshades
Ch. 15
Rear Armrest
Ch. 16
Ski Sack
Ch. 17
Rear Headrests
Ch. 18
Rear Reading Lights

Ch. 19
Accessories
Ch. 24
Rear Fog Lights

Ch. 23
Trunk Storage
Ch. 22
CD Player
Rear Window Shade Ch. 21
Ch. 20
Rear Heated Seats
Ch. 10
2010 Marcus Corbin v

vi 2010 Marcus Corbin

Foreword
Apart from being an extraordinary vehicle in terms of its engine, handling, styling, and reliability, the Bavarian
Motor Workss E34 was designed with a large array of special options including, at the pinnacle of any extra
features list, an independent gasoline-burning heating system, separate from the engine, to warm up the car
engine and interior before driving in winter! U.S.-specification vehicles tended to have a lot of luxury features
as standard, compared with their European counterparts (e.g., leather, power everything, air conditioning,
large engines); but, on the other hand, many of the cars special options, including some very simple ones that
would have been easy to include on U.S. vehicles, were available from the factory only on European-
specification cars.1 However, the factory prepared excellent illustrated installation and retrofitting instructions
for many of the options, and, in combination with parts procured new or used from Europe, the options can
often be easily installed in U.S. vehicles. Frequently, these cars are pre-wired for the accessories, and mounting
holes et cetera are often pre-cut, pre-stamped, pre-drilled, or pre-threaded, so installation isnt too hard for
people who arent professional mechanics.
This guide shows the best of the factory special options and how to install them, supplementing the factory
instructions when they exist with photographs and additional guidance and tips.
The procedures illustrated in this guide were performed on a 1992 E34 535i sedan, U.S.-specification, with
manual transmission, lazurblau2 exterior, and silbergrau hell (light silver gray) interior. The procedures, parts,
and part numbers may or may not apply to other years, versions, and colors of the E34. In the guide,
references to what the car is equipped with (for example, pre-wiring), et cetera, usually apply to U.S. versions.
Note that where parts come in different colors, if part numbers are shown they are usually for the silbergrau
hell interior. Part numbers are not-infrequently superseded, so check for the latest numbers before ordering.
New-part prices are usually approximate prices from discount sources, not the dealer prices.
I recommend reading-around in the guide, because several retrofits cover similar territory (and can profitably
be done at the same time), so additional illustration and snippets of information can be gathered by browsing.
Although the information in the guide is believed to be accurate, it may or may not be correct, so use any
information here completely at your own risk. The plethora of variations attributable to the different series,
country models, equipment packages, years, and so on can in particular lead to inaccuracies. Check all part
numbers for yourself. Please contact the author if you believe something is in error or have comments,
shadetreebmr@verizon.net. Similarly, nothing in here is intended to encourage or legitimize violating any
vehicle laws. Check the laws applicable to the country and district where you live.
On all these procedures, put your brain into action take a pause as youre working to re-examine what
youre doing and see if youve forgotten something, or can use a different approach or different tools to
achieve the desired result, especially when something isnt working or coming easily. In particular, if youre
having difficulty reaching a part, or getting it off, stop and think about how else you could do it, for example
by taking off some other part to increase access. Go slowly. Think about safety.
This is not an official factory publication. Any views expressed are those of the author. BMW is a registered
trademark of Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) AG. This document is copyrighted 2010 by Marcus
Corbin.
Big thanks go to gunnar525 in Germany, whose superb Website showed me that many of these things were
possible to do in the first place; Whit Lowell; and the many others who shared their knowledge. Thanks also in
particular to the very helpful folks at Foreign Car Parts and B&M automotive recycling facilities; BMA parts;
and Tischer BMW / GetBMWparts.com, for helping me to locate and track down often obscure, mainly-
Europe parts.
1
References to European models in the text may include other non-U.S. models, e.g., Japanese, Australian, South
African.
2
Apparently from lazurite, a sometimes dark-blue mineral, not to be confused with lazulite or azurite. Azure is related.
2010 Marcus Corbin vii

viii 2010 Marcus Corbin

Introduction:
What Makes the E34 Such a Special Luxury Car?
The E34 is special among the luxury cars of its day for the wide range of useful features and options, minor
and major, that come together to form a harmonious concerto of complementary systems. The brilliance of the
cars chassis and engine are covered extensively elsewhere, but the cars features and options make the
process of using a vehicle to go places safer and more convenient, and hence more of a pleasure. The
thoughtfulness of a lot of these features is impressive, as is the effort and cost put into to making them
available given that they might not make as much money for the company as other simpler, high-volume,
more-standard features. All the options did not come on all the cars, of course, and several options were not
made available in the United States, but the factory took the extra steps of making retrofitting easy by
providing comprehensive installation instructions, and by making the parts readily available.
The main features that make driving and operating the E34 such a pleasure are described below, grouped
under these categories:
Convenience
Cockpit
Seating
Interior
Trunk
Safety & Security
Touring.3
Convenience
Lighted keys, wallet key, valet key

Key has an integral light.
The lighted key is very handy for seeing where to insert the key at night without scratching the paint. The
lightweight and smaller plastic wallet key is a good way to banish forever locking oneself out of the car.
(Sidenote: cars after 1/95 do have the security chip embedded even in the plastic wallet key.) The valet key
allows others to drive the car but not access the trunk or glove box.
Heated door lock

Activate by holding up the drivers door handle for a few seconds.
A good solution to the simple but frustrating problem of being locked out of ones car by a little bit of frozen
water.
Windows and sunroof close from outside

Allows the windows and sunroof to be closed from the outside when locking the drivers door.
A nifty feature that avoids the need to go back into the car and turn on the ignition when one forgets to close
all the windows and sunroof. It works by holding the key in the full lock position for a few seconds.
Automatic wiper speed adjustment

Adjustment of wiper intervals according to road speed.
If the wipers are on normal speed, they will switch to intermittent when the car comes to a stop, to
accommodate the fewer raindrops collecting on the windshield. A neat feature that reduces the need to keep
adjusting the wiper position.
Programmable intermittent wiper interval

A nice option to avoid the problems of a fixed intermittent wiping interval: wipers squeaking across a dry
windshield when the interval is too short and it is barely raining, or the windshield not getting cleared when
3
Touring was the name for the E34/2 station wagon or estate version of the car.
2010 Marcus Corbin 1

E34 Factory Options Guide Introduction
the interval is too long. The feature may not have appeared on many, or U.S., models, but is mentioned in
technical manuals.
Wiper pressure variable with vehicle speed

A lever mechanism pushes the wiper blades harder against the windshield at higher speeds.
This might not be the most useful feature at less-than-Autobahn speeds, but I havent seen it in use. The
different feature of a fixed wing that helps hold down the drivers wiper blade may provide some measure of
similar benefit at far less complexity.
Intensive windshield cleaning system

Sprays separate, stronger cleaner on the windshield. (Intensivreinigung)
Perhaps useful to get those glued-on bug smears off the windscreen. The system uses a separate smaller tank
to hold the intensive cleaning fluid. A special wiper stalk is used.
Rearview mirror parking adjust

Right rearview mirror tilts down automatically when in reverse.
This clever but simple-to-implement feature is very useful to avoid scraping the wheel rims on curbs when
parallel parking. The feature may be deactivated by setting the power mirror adjustment selector switch to the
passenger position.
Parked-car ventilation system

When parked in the sun, the heater / air conditioning blower fan can be set to turn on automatically while the
car is locked and the engine is off. (Standlftung)
The system pulls in (relatively) cooler air from outside and forces out the hot air from the interior. Very handy
for those hot summer days when cars act like ovens.
Parked-car independent heating system

An ingenious system that uses a small gasoline-burning furnace to warm coolant, and a pump to circulate the
coolant through the engine and passenger compartment, warming them up before you get in the car.
(Standheizung)
Not available in the United States, perhaps for liability reasons, but of course can be retrofitted using the
extensive, but clear, installation instructions.
Headlight/fog-light washers
High-pressure sprays that clean the lenses. (Scheinwerferreinigungsanlage, SRA light-thrower-cleaning-
system!)
The system has nozzles that mount above and below the bumper to spray the lenses. It uses high-pressure fluid
rather than wipers for its cleaning action.
Underhood light
A light mounted in the hood that comes on automatically when the hood is open and the parking lights or
headlights are on. (Motorraumbeleuchtung motor-room-lighting)
This was on the early cars, then disappeared, then reappeared on at least one later year. It can be retrofitted,
although some new wiring will need to be added. The numerous convenience lights on the car are worth
noting: engine room light, four individual map lights, trunk lights, key lights, vanity mirror lights, and glove-box
flashlight. The interior lights can be turned on by lifting the door handle, without opening the door. They also
come on automatically at night after taking the key out of the ignition, nowadays a fairly common feature.
Floor mat clips

Neat integrated studs in the carpeting that fit into locking holes in the mats.
These are nice to avoid the irritating repositioning of other floor mats that seem to constantly creep out of
position, and work better than the infirmly-attached clips in some other cars.
2 2010 Marcus Corbin

Introduction E34 Factory Options Guide
Cockpit
Leather steering wheel, with power telescoping adjustment

Electric adjustment was a very late option in the United States, though it seems to have been available in
Europe at least as early as 1992.4
Leather or wood gearshift knobs

A variety of attractive knob designs are available from the factory.
Automatically-dimming rearview mirror

Dims inside rearview mirror to reduce glare at night. (Automatisch abblendbarer Innenspiegel)
Many cars are pre-wired for this option, and all that needs to be done is plugging the vehicles wire connector
into the new electrochromic mirror. There are two or three different wire connector types, however.
Stratified heating/fresh air

The temperature system can be set to provide warm air to feet, cool to the face.
This is useful for staying alert with cool air on the face, while keeping the rest of the body warm.
Individual front map lights

On the headliner near the rearview mirror in many cars is a light console, with the main front interior light plus
one map light each for the driver and passenger. All three can be set individually to on, automatic control,
or off. The map lights are small beams so are useful for reading without blinding the driver with the main
interior light.
Drivers glovebox
Yes, a nifty second glovebox was available in Europe, to the left of the steering wheel. It is quite a bit smaller
than the main glovebox. The stock installation of the storage box requires removal of the knee safety bolster,
so dont put in the box if youre going to be in an accident where your knees hit the lower dash.
Coin tray
A special insert into the door map pockets was available to hold coins at-the-ready for toll booths, etc.
Instrumentation and warnings

The masterful Check Control system and the on-board computer (OBC) set this car apart from many even
luxury vehicles of its day with their many useful functions, both for long trips and for safety monitoring. Of
particular note for convenience: the systems alert you to inadvertently leaving the lights on, the parking brake
on, or the key in the ignition, and to various low fluid levels and worn-out brake pads. Of particular note for
safety: the systems cleverly let you know about burned-out bulbs, low brake pressure, and open doors while
driving.
Check Control shows the following comprehensive information on a display in the instrument cluster:
Low-fluid warnings:
brake fluid
engine oil
engine oil-level sensor problem
coolant
power steering fluid
washer fluid.
Other fluid warnings:

brake pressure low
oil pressure low
coolant temperature high.
4
An early European sales brochure noted, In order to guarantee perfect airbag [operation], the steering wheel is not
adjustable for reach. 8 11 05 09 20 (2/88).

Burned-out-bulb warnings:
brake lights
tail lights
parking lights
headlight low beams
fog lights
license plate lights.
Other warnings:
brake pads worn out
brake light circuit fault
door open while moving
trunk open while moving
parking brake on while moving
headlights on when drivers door is opened
key in ignition when drivers door is opened
suspension leveling fault or overload (when equipped)
automatic transmission fault (when equipped)
Check Control system problem.
On-board computer
This full-featured trip computer calculates and shows several types of information. The readouts can also be
displayed in the instrument cluster, in a programmable order and selection. The information includes:
Outside temperature display

Also usefully chimes when near-freezing temperatures are reached.
Clock
12- or 24-hour display. Can be set to chime just before the hour for example to remind you to listen to
the news on the radio.
Trip information:
average mph
distance to destination
estimated arrival time (based on average mph)
range (based on average fuel consumption)
fuel consumption (two separate time spans are available)
timer.
A warning can be set for reaching a pre-selected speed

A tone sounds each time the speed is reached. Useful to let you know when youre going a lot faster than
this quiet autobahn-vehicle is leading you to believe ... .
Other displays:
Fuel consumption gauge

Not to be confused with the average fuel consumption readout on the OBC, this gauge shows
instantaneous mpg.
Service-needed indicator
Shows when to get service, according not just to mileage but also to usage patterns.

Seating
Seat and mirror memory

Three sets of positions for front seats and outside rearview mirrors are programmable. (Switches are on
outboard side of seats, aft of the seat position switches.)
An invaluable feature if more than one driver uses the car.
Power front seat-base height and angle

Front and rear of the seat bottom can be raised and lowered independently, allowing tilt angle adjustment.
(Switches on outboard side of seats towards front.)
An unusual and welcome feature is the ability to adjust the slope of the front seat bases. Switches are an
intuitive design echoing the shape of the seats.
Power front headrests

Electric height adjustment. (Switch is incorporated in the seatback angle switch.)
Angle of headrests (i.e., tipped forward/back) can also be changed manually.
Front seat heating

Two-stage electric heating. (Switches on inboard side of seat base.) (Sitzheizung)
Automatically-adjusting seatbelt height

Upper seatbelt location points move up or down b-pillar as seat is raised and lowered.
Helps avoid seatbelt chafing on the seat occupant.
Power lumbar supports

Mechanical (rather than pneumatic) lumbar supports for front seats, electronically adjustable. (Switch on
inboard side of seat, aft of seat-heating switches.) (Lordosensttze)
Does not seem to have been supplied in the United States on E34s, but easily retrofittable.
Power thigh support5

Front center segment of seat base can be extended forward. (Switch on outboard side of seat, aft of seat
memory switches.)
I cant imagine why this is useful, but perhaps long-distance autobahn jockeys find it a boon. Extremely rare in
the United States, perhaps only found on M5s.
Rear seat heating

(Switches are at rear of front center console.)
Only found on M5s in the United States, and not always then.
Rear power headrests

With power version, headrests lower automatically if rear seats are occupied. (Manual-adjust switches are on
front corners of the seat base, on the side.)
Another M5 option. Interestingly, manual headrests were standard on U.S. E32s (same parts as E34, except
for early-on), and a few of those had power.
Outboard rear seatbelt latches

Fixed latches towards the outside of the car, adjacent to the doors, rather than toward the centerline of the car.
This unusual (watch people trying to find the seatbelt!) but innovative setup allows the belts to be latched with
one hand since the latch receptacle is fixed in place. More importantly, the arrangement helps prevent
passengers from colliding with each other in a side-impact accident.
5
This is one thing that determines the designation Sports seat. Sports seats have the adjustable thigh bolster, and are
extremely rare in the United States. By far the most common seat in the United States is the mid-line seat, that is, the seat
on which the seams in the center of the seat base run left to right; in contrast, the basic seat (sometimes in cloth or vinyl on
a few U.S. 525i models, particularly those without wood trim) has the seams on the seat base running in narrower strips
front to back.
Interior
One-touch window operation6

One-touch (switch needs only to be pressed briefly, not held down to go all the way up or down) front
windows, one-touch down rear windows.
The absence of one-touch up on rear windows is presumably to reduce the chance of a child getting caught in
an automatically-rising window.
Individual temperature control for driver and front passenger

Separate temperature dials for front occupants. Drivers control overrides passengers when drivers is set to
full cool or full heat.
A wonderful innovation to suppress marital squabbling over the interior temperature!
Microfilter for interior air

These cars had the rare feature of a filter for the air breathed by the occupants of the vehicle. Quite nice for
blocking everything from diesel soot to allergens.
Automatic recirculation control

(Automatische Umluftcontrol AUC)
This system detects pollution in outside air and automatically closes the outside air vents. It briefly shuts off
after several minutes to allow some fresh air in. It can also be manually overridden.
Automatically-illuminating interior lights

Now common on cars; less so when the E34 was introduced.
Lighted vanity mirrors with sliding covers

Lights are actually located in the headliner not the visors; activated by lowering the sun visor and sliding the
mirror cover back.
Leather seats and door paneling

Leather also on steering wheel, handbrake handle and gaiter, and gearshift knob and gaiter. Large center area
of door panels were nicely covered in gathered leather in the final E34 year, 1995. The center console (front
and rear sections) may have also been available in leather, an extremely rare option.
Wood trim
1989 models often did not have wood; next models used bubinga wood; 1993 and later models used walnut.
Pieces include two for each of the doors, two each for the drivers and passengers dash areas, and a large one
for the gearshift lever surround.
The bubinga was a rich, slightly reddish, straight-grained African wood. The late models went back to the
more traditional, but gorgeous, burled (knot-produced swirls) walnut.
Weather-band radio
Radio tunes to NOAA weather-broadcast frequencies at the push of a button (WB).
Provides the capability to hear the weather forecast without having to listen to a commercial radio station with
endless advertisements, using the governments weather broadcasts. Now if only the commercial radio
stations suppression of a similar, desperately-needed system for free traffic broadcasts could be prevented ....
Front passenger-footwell storage net

An add-on accessory, useful for handy storage of various items.
CD changer with cover

Trunk-mounted CD changers using 6-pack (and a few 10-pack) magazines, from Alpine and Pioneer.
A nice trunk-trim-matching cover was originally available.
6
Later models applied the feature to more of the windows, and added up-applicability as well as down. Reportedly the
extended features can be retrofitted by swapping in a late-model Central Control module.

Moonroof
Glass sunroof, a bolt-in replacement for the steel sunroof panel, fits in the standard sunroof mechanism.
Headliner panel was the same, with the subtraction of a few parts and the addition of a handle.
Extremely rare now, the glass sunroof was made by Saratoga Tops, which no longer makes sunroofs.
Refrigerator in rear armrest

Small refrigerator mounts in place of rear center armrest. Fold-down table with cupholders included.
A clever installation, and the mark of a real luxury vehicle. Probably easier and cheaper now to just use factory
add-on unit that plugs into a cigar lighter / power outlet socket, but nothing can match the neat built-in design
of this feature.
Air vents for rear passenger area

Rear footwell vents for warm or cool air; console vents for cool air.
Unfortunately, the vents at the rear of the center console only provide cool air, but they may be closed when
desired.
Rear reading lights

Individually-switched reading lights in addition to the main rear interior lights.
Very useful for allowing rear passengers to read in the car at night without blinding the driver. The U.S. E34
versions did not come with this feature, but the wiring was present and a simple exchange of the light console
for one with the additional reading lights accomplishes the installation.
Rear armrest with storage area

Lid opens up to access storage area within the armrest.
The rear armrest is quite large so it is an obvious place to add a fair amount of convenient storage space.
Strangely, the armrest with storage was not supplied on U.S. cars, though again it can be exchanged, bearing
in mind that a change in the mounting system was made early on.
Integrated rear door sunshades

Manual sunshades with two sections, one that pulls up out of the interior of the door, and one that pulls back
from the vertical window divider. (Sonnenschutzrollo hinten seitlich)
A beautiful installation avoiding the need for unsightly suction-cup shades. Handy to keep up the spirits of rear
seat passengers on long trips in the sun.
Rear window sunshade

Power or manual. (Sonnenschutzrollo Heckscheibe)
Nice for rear passengers and sometimes for the driver on occasions when blinding sunlight is streaming in
through the rear window. The shade integrates into a special rear parcel shelf. The manual shade attaches to
hooks on the roof, the power one is controlled by a switch at the top rear of the center console.
Trunk
Ski sack
Fitted behind the fold-down armrest for the rear seat. Armrest is removed with a quick-release mechanism
when using ski sack.
Allows skis or other long objects, such as lumber, to be carried in the car.
Trunk storage
Available are bins, net, securing straps, and rubber mat.
The bins are attached over lugs and can be easily taken out. The securing straps are elastic rubber, and help
things stop sliding around even when the items are just put on top of them. The rubber mat has a substantial
lip and is useful for carrying wet or muddy items.
Velour carpet
A European M5 option. Much nicer than the somewhat rough, but stain-hiding, standard material.

Tool kit
In an integrated fold-down tray on the underside of the trunk lid.
This wonderful carry-over from the golden age of motoring can be quite useful for those occasions when
youve left your own tool roll out of the car. Includes three open-ended wrenches, adjustable pliers, reversible
slot/phillips screwdriver, spark plug socket, and space for the European-supplied warning triangle.
Rear fold-down seat

Has the usual split feature.
Surprisingly rare given that inexpensive cars often have this feature now. There were some allusions on the
Web to a greater level of squeaks and creaks in the car with this feature, which would be understandable given
that it deletes the substantial sheet-metal bulwark behind the rear seats.
Safety & Security
Fog lights
Front and rear.
The front fog lights were standard, but unfortunately the rears were not available in the United States. The
wiring and light control module that controls the rear fog and other exterior lights is different for
European/U.S. models, but a retrofit with some wiring added is possible.
Heated outside rearview mirrors

Needed for safer driving in foggy or damp conditions.
Wide-angle outside rearview mirrors

These special mirrors angle a small section of the glass so that it covers more of the blind spot.
Heated windshield-washer jets

A nice touch, helps prevent loss of the windshield- washing function in freezing weather.
Glovebox flashlight
Small flashlight plugs into recharging socket behind glovebox door.
Another special feature. An accessory wire is also available that adapts the recharging plug for all the electronic
gadgets that plug into a normal cigar-lighter-style socket.
Vehicle immobilization with code

Operated through the push of a few buttons on the on-board computer.
A simple way to make it harder to steal the car. The beauty of this is its ease of activation, though forgetting
the code can be a problem!
Vehicle immobilization
A correct key must be used or the car will not start. (Elektronischewegsperresystem)
Cars built 1/95 and later have the EWS II system (drive-away protection) that prevents the car from being
started unless the correct key is used. When the key is turned the EWS module energizes a ring around the
ignition lock, which in turn (wirelessly!) charges up a transponder inside the key, cleverly avoiding the need for
a battery in the key. Numerous i.d. numbers, rolling codes, and passwords flow backwards and forwards
between the key, transmitter/receiver module, EWS module, and DME, all in an instant, before the car will
start. The key needs to be registered to the EWS (only ten can be registered, including the four that came with
the car) using BMW diagnostic-computer programming.
Full-size spare wheel

No dorky-looking 50-mph doughnut here.
Accident response
After a crash, hazard lights, headlights, and interior lights come on, and doors unlock.
Some innovative thinking to come up with those safety actions.

Double locking
Car may be locked so that doors only open with a key, even from the inside.
Designed to prevent a thief breaking a window and quickly opening a door using the inside handle. A thief
would have to crawl in through the window to get inside, which one would think would be a useful additional
deterrent.
First-aid kit
Installs in bracket under the front passengers seat.
A well-stocked kit including a variety of bandages, dressings, scissors, etc., with instructions. The large kit that
is neatly installed underneath the seat was not supplied in the United States, although a smaller, unmounted
kit was available.
Fire extinguisher
Installs on a bracket at front of drivers seat.
Talk about being ready! Early versions using halon gas are no longer produced, unfortunately, because of the
environmental destruction caused by halon. Powder versions work well but can make the area theyre sprayed
a serious mess.
Headlight-beam adjusting
Switch is to left of fog-light switch. (Leuchtweitenregulierung LWR)
Designed for Europe, to adjust for trailer pulling or other loading that tilts the car and hence the headlight
beams up.
Touring
Dual sunroof
The large sunroof is composed of two adjacent panels that move in a variety of directions, giving the rear seat
passengers their own access to the sky.
Opening hatch window

The window on the rear hatch can be opened, allowing access to the rear luggage area without opening the
whole hatch. The window has a retracting washer and a wiper.
Luggage area
The luggage area features a retractable cover that can be used to conceal items; dedicated lighting; and lashing
points to stop cargo sliding around. A net partition was also available that divided the luggage area from the
seating area.
Self-leveling
The rear wheels have a hydraulic height-adjustment system to compensate for heavy loads in the cargo area.


Summary of the Major E34 Options
The bold entries below are covered in this guide. The asterisk indicates the retrofits that have factory
installation instructions (EBA) that I know of. Some other retrofits not marked likely have them also.
Interior
Drivers glovebox
Alternative steering wheels*
Alternative gearshift lever knobs
Lighted gearshift lever*7
First-aid kit
Fire extinguisher*
Rear door sunshades*
Rear armrest with compartment
Fold-down split rear seat8
Ski sack*
Rear independently-switched reading lights*
Rear window manual sunshade*
Rear window power sunshade*
Rear door oddments bins
Trunk bins*
Trunk mat
Trunk net
Trunk velour carpeting
Luggage-area cover (Touring)
Seating
Heated front seats*
Memory front seats, mirrors, and steering column
Lumbar supports*
Thigh supports9
Heated rear seats
Rear seat headrests*
Rear seat power headrests
Electrical Systems
Headlight / fog-light washers*
Headlight-beam adjustment*
Underhood light
Intensive windshield- cleaning system*
Pressure-adjusting wipers
7
This is a nifty option that is usually pre-wired. The top of the knob has an illuminated manual gear pattern. Personally, I
didnt retrofit it since the levers I saw didnt come in wood, plus they have an M (BMW Motorsport) logo, but my car isnt
an M5.
8
Found on the Touring, but not on U.S. sedans. Retrofitting would involve reconstructing the bodywork around the
bulkhead between the rear seats and the trunk.
9
Only available as part of the quite different Sport seats. As noted, I couldnt see what significant benefit this gives. The
provision of the capability has a useful advantage for installing the memory on the vehicle, however: until late, the cars did
not have the power telescoping steering column, hence the early memory control module did not include a memory
feature for the steering column. But it did include a socket for the thigh support, which is normally unused. So if one is
retrofitting the power steering column, it is possible that one could rig up a harness to the thigh support socket to work the
steering column. The potentiometers that go on the various motors (and that one might need to add to the power steering
motor) for memory are similar, although different ones need to be set for different ranges of motion, per the Technical
Reference Manuals.
E34 Factory Options Guide Summary
Parked heating system*10

Parked ventilation system11
Automatic air recirculation control
Automatic air conditioning*12
Interior alarm sensor*
Autodimming rearview mirror*
Electric steering-column adjustment
Navigation system*13
Mobile telephone*
Refrigerator*14
Supplementary battery*15
CD changer*
CD changer cover
Rear fog lights
Park distance control*16
Exterior
Bodywork add-ons such as air dams, side skirts, rear spoiler*
Moonroof
Dual sunroof (Touring)
Roof rack and carriers*
Wide-angle outside rearview mirrors*
Shadowline exterior trim17
Mudguards
Mechanical Systems
Automatic Stability Control+Traction
Limited-slip differential
Electronic Damping Control
Self-leveling
Trailer hitch*18
Usually Standard in the United States

Front fog lights*
Servotronic power steering
Heated windshield washer nozzles*
Air conditioning*
10
This is the king of all the retrofits, the most one could ever do. Since it is a mini second engine, it involves the electronic,
fuel, cooling, and exhaust systems. There are long factory installation instructions for several vehicles (including E32 and
E36). I decided not to do the retrofit because the mini engine is supposed to be run once a month to keep it in good
shape.
11
I have not seen factory installation instructions for this retrofit, but someone has done it as described on the Web.
12
Seems to be rare in the United States on E34s, though it was standard on the E32s. Control panel has temperature dials
that rotate around a vertical axis rather than a horizontal one. Retrofit would be extremely complex for minimal advantage.
13
A very rare, late option. It has been retrofitted by someone on the Web. Nifty, but aftermarket GPS units are so much
more flexible and convenient.
14
A very cool retrofit, pun intended, but since it goes in the rear armrest space, one would lose the valuable rear-armrest
storage, and the ski sack (see those retrofits in this guide).
15
The car could be equipped with a second battery, which was mainly for the parked heating system. The second battery
went in the trunk. Look for it in the Second Edition of this guide.
16
This is one retrorfit I did not initially go for, since it yells out I dont know how to park. Nevertheless, on the basis of
completeness, look for it in the Second Edition.
17
This substituted black trim for the normal chrome around the windows. An appealing, modern look.
18
This was available in Europe, where trailer use, particularly for campers, seems much more common. For some reason,
perhaps liability, or brand image, the factory didnt make the feature available in the United States. The hitch itself is
different between Europe and the United States, so some fabrication or welding would be needed to hook up U.S. trailers.
Trailer light harnesses and control modules were available for the European installation. Perhaps in the Second Edition ....
Summary E34 Factory Options Guide
Wood trim*19
Front independently-switched map lights*
Cruise control*
Leather steering wheel
Airbag(s)
Alarm*
Power sunroof
Heated outside rearview mirrors
Remote central locking
Lights-on warning*
Full on-board computer
Outside-temperature display*
Check Control system
Power windows*
Leather seats (and door panels, seatbelt gaiters for late models; some 525s came with cloth)*
Power seats, including seat base tilt and power headrests*
Front seat armrests*
Power locks
Third brake light*
Other Accessories
Sunroof air deflector
Front passenger-footwell storage net*
Front console storage tray
Coin tray
Cassette and CD holders
Dual cupholder*
Umbrella holder*
Auxiliary fuel canister*20
19
In the United States, the 1989 models usually came without wood trim. The 199091 models featured African bubinga
wood, then came the more common burled walnut. Some front dash pieces might be slightly different between European
and U.S. models.
20
This was designed to fit neatly inside the spare wheel.

E34 Factory Options Guide Summary

Project Profiles
Pick Your Projects
The table below lists the main projects in this guide, in approximate rank order for various criteria. These are
subjective and approximate, based on particular experiences and personal views, so use as a rough guide. The
individual profile is repeated at the beginning of each chapter.
Coolness Utility Difficulty Time Cost

&&&& ssss
Rear Window Shade Rear Fog Lights Seat/Mirror Memory Heated Seats Heated Seats
Rear Door Shades Seat/Mirror Memory Rear Door Shades Seat/Mirror Memory Drivers Glove Box
Fire Ext. & First-Aid Kit Rain-Sensing Wipers Head/Fog-Light Washers Rear Door Shades Moonroof
Rear Armrest Rear Headrests Rear Window Shade Rear Headrests (power)
Moonroof Rear Reading Lights Rear Headrests (power) Head/Fog-Light Washers
Rear Fog Lights Rear Fog Lights
&&& sss
Rear Headrests Rear Door Shades Heated Seats Rain-Sensing Wipers Rear Door Shades
Head/Fog-Light Washers Rear Armrest Steering Wheels/Column Rear Window Shade Seat/Mirror Memory
Seat/Mirror Memory Fire Ext. & First-Aid Kit Rain-Sensing Wipers Underhood Light Rear Window Shade
Drivers Glove Box Heated Seats Underhood Light Rear Power Outlet Trunk Storage (all)
Lumbar Supports CD Player and Cover Rear Power Outlet Steering Wheels/Column Rear Headrests (power)
Steering Wheels/Column Rear Power Outlet Headlight Adjusters Head/Fog-Light Washers
Automatic Recirculation Lumbar Supports
&& ss
Rain-Sensing Wipers Drivers Glove Box Drivers Glove Box Ski Sack Fire Ext. & First-Aid Kit
Underhood Light Ski Sack Rear Armrest Rear Headrests (manual) Rear Fog Lights
Rear Reading Lights Lumbar Supports Automatic Recirculation Drivers Glove Box CD Player and Cover
Autodimming Mirror Underhood Light Rear Headrests (manual) Fire Ext. & First-Aid Kit Rear Armrest
Rear Fog Lights Trunk Storage Lumbar Supports Lumbar Supports Steering Wheels/Column
Heated Seats Fire Extinguisher Rear Armrest Automatic Recirculation
Headlight Adjusters Headlight Adjusters Headlight Adjusters
Automatic Recirculation
& s
Ski Sack Head/Fog-Light Washers Ski Sack Moonroof Autodimming Mirror
Rear Power Outlet Rear Window Shade Moonroof Autodimming Mirror Ski Sack
CD Player and Cover Moonroof Autodimming Mirror Rear Reading Lights Rain-Sensing Wipers
Trunk Storage Autodimming Mirror Rear Reading Lights CD Player and Cover Rear Headrests (manual)
Steering Wheels/Column CD Player and Cover Trunk Storage Rear Power Outlet
Headlight Adjusters Trunk Storage Underhood Light
Automatic Recirculation First-Aid Kit Rear Reading Lights
Key:
Coolness Time
&&&& Cool and quite rare 2030 hours
&&& Pretty neat, luxurious 819 hours
&& Nifty, and not too common 37 hours
& Nice, not particularly unique 12 hours
Utility Cost (based on the cheapest option)

Particularly high safety or convenience value ssss $400 and up
Quite useful sss $200400
Handy to have for specific uses ss $100200
Nice to have for other reasons, but not especially needed s Less than $100
Difficulty
Complex fittings, non-factory elements, lots of wiring
Can involve some wiring, wire splicing; upholstery work
Can include drilling, cutting, disassembly
Pretty-much bolt-on

E34 Factory Options Guide Project Profiles

1. Headlight, Fog-Light, and Intensive Washers
For your next off-road rally . . .
The headlight/fog-light washers21 were probably not offered on U.S. E34
models, although they seem to have been on Canadian ones, presumably
to take care of northern winter muck. They were offered on U.S. E32s. Project Profile
Many but not all of the E32 parts were shared with the E34s. Be careful,
because there were quite a few different variations of fluid tanks (with
Coolness: &&&
some E32s even having three tanks headlight washer, intensive Utility:
windshield cleaning, and regular systems) among various E32s as well as Difficulty:
among Euro E34 models. The headlight washers operate automatically Time:
every fifth operation of the windshield washers, when the headlights are Cost: sss
on.
The intensive cleaning system sends a shot of intensive-cleaning washer fluid from a separate tank onto the
windshield (not the headlights) before the regular fluid is sprayed and wiping begins. There have been
suggestions that the intensive-cleaning washer fluid sold in the United States is not the same and is not as
effective as the one sold in Germany. I have not confirmed this, but anyway, as of 2008, it appears that the
intensive fluid is no longer available in the United States. The system is operated by pushing a special wiper
stalk inwards along its axis (regular stalks used this motion for a telephone feature). The intensive stalks are
usually marked by an S rather than a telephone pictogram.
A headlight and intensive wash system

fluid hoses, tanks, wiper stalk, heated
windshield nozzles, fog-light nozzles,
control module, and headlight nozzles.
Note that these tanks are not for the E34.
Parts
Name Details Number Part no. Price
Headlight and fog-light
washing
Fluid container one of several types; unusually, this one goes on 1 61 67 1 384 263 $63
the left of the engine compartment; get the correct
one for your engine/model (see EBA)
Strainer for water 61 66 1 365 848 $3
container
Base (pad) for tank 16 11 1 180 163 <$1
Fillister head self- 4.8x16-z2 2 07 11 9 907 975 <$1
tapping screw, for tank
Expanding nut ST 4.8 2 63 17 1 367 868 <$1
Control module red, goes in the forward relay box in the engine 61 35 1 389 002 $48
compartment, left side
Pump for SRA this is different than the windshield/intensive pump 61 67 1 382 085 $65
21
Hereafter lets just call them headlight washers.

E34 Factory Options Guide Chapter 1
Gasket, for pump 61 67 1 378 631 $1
Connector 61 67 1 378 630 $5
Gasket for above 2 64 50 8 390 601 $1
Distribution piece 61 67 1 378 627 $4
Valve 4 61 67 1 378 629 $13
Distribution piece Y shape 2 61 67 1 378 625 $4
Spray nozzle left for headlights 61 67 1 384 961 $54
Spray nozzle right 61 67 1 384 962 $54
Spacer ring 2 61 67 1 389 557 <$1
Hex nut 4 61 67 1 378 633 <$1
Hose line d=10mm 61 67 1 379 530 $9
Spray nozzle for fog lights 2 61 67 1 378 616 $14
Spacer ring 2 61 67 1 384 959 <$1
Hose clamp 4 61 67 1 389 041 $1
Leveling switch probably not needed, depending on tank; some 61 31 1 388 578 $30
cars, at least, have no warning for low fluid in the
headlight tank, which potentially can be a problem
for the pump if the fluid runs out
Rubber grommet 61 31 1 369 343 $3
Hose clamp large, C shape 61 67 1 389 530 $4
Covering left trim behind left headlights 51 71 1 946 437 $9
Intensive cleaning
Heated spray nozzles there are also unheated ones; the connector 2 61 66 8 350 355 $26
changed from round to square during the series
run
Washer switch/stalk, there are several kinds depending on airbag/non- 61 31 8 350 699 $102
with intensive, airbag airbag, Touring/non-Touring
Relay grey half-size option 61 36 1 393 415 ~$10
blue regular-size option 61 31 1 378 786
Washer pump 61 66 1 380 068 $41
Gasket for above 61 66 1 365 657
Hose line d=4.6mm 61 66 1 357 388 $4
Distribution piece T-shape 61 66 1 355 939 $1
Hose clamp 15.518.0mm 16 13 1 179 065
Total (new): ~$650
Total (used): ~$200
Einbauanleitungen (factory installation instructions)

Headlight cleaning system with intensive windscreen cleaner, 12/88, 01 29 9 782 112
Supplement on headlight and intensive windshield cleaning system, 10/89, 01 29 9 783 019 (has numerous
updates to the original EBA)
Headlight-Cleaning System with Intensive-Cleaning System for Models with Basic Module, 5/93, 01 29 9 787
389
Headlight Cleaning System with Intensive Cleaning System for Cars Fitted with Central-locking System (ZV)
Module, 12/93, 01 29 9 787 287 (most U.S. models)
Headlight Cleaning System, 8/94, 01 29 9 788 808
Installation
The installation has quite a few steps, since it involves mounting of tanks, pumps, hoses, nozzles, control
module, wires, and stalk switch for a variety of different models. Several EBA cover the installation for
different models and configurations. Fortunately, most U.S. models seem to be pre-wired for the headlight
washers, and at least some are partly pre-wired for the intensive-cleaning system; fortunately, because
adding the wiring which pretty much needs the factory supplemental harness as covered in most of the
EBA, makes the job quite a bit more lengthy.
You can tell whether your car has the headlight washer pre-wiring by looking in the smaller relay box forward
of the larger, main fuse/relay box, on the left of the engine bay. Look at the foremost relay base, that has no
relay on it, and see whether there are wires coming to it on the underside, and contacts visible from the top in

Headlight, Fog-Light, and Intensive Washers E34 Factory Options Guide
the relay contact slots; if so, youre pre-wired. Given that the factory went to all the trouble of pre-wiring the
car, you really have to put in the system, dont you think?
Headlight Washers
The steps are:
1. Remove and disassemble bumper

2. Install nozzles
3. Install hoses
4. Install tank
5. Reinstall bumper
6. Install module
Step 1. Remove and disassemble bumper
Disconnect the battery at the right

rear footwell.
Remove the license plate and its

bracket by unscrewing the screws.
Lever out the black plastic side

bumper strips, starting from near
the license plate. Once the clips on
the front side are free, just slide the
whole strip directly forward about a
half inch, then the hook-shaped
clips on the side should be free and
you can pull the strip out to the
side.

Unbolt the bumper. (It was a very tight

fit to get the bumper back on those
bolts during re-installation it looked
like the bolts wouldnt fit into their
holes, but they did, with some force
and maneuvering. Try levering the
bumper over the bolts with a
screwdriver, if necessary.)
Pull the trim inside the wheel well clear

of the bumper ends on the sides.
Separate the fog-light connector, and

twist out the outside-temperature
sender from its socket.
Temperature sensor and connector are the

yellow objects.

Lift off the bumper (its not as heavy as

the EBA implies when it suggests using
two people).
The black plastic brace on the inner side of

the bumper shown here slides over ...
... this bracket on the bodywork.
If you have them, take out the foam

air guides at the left and right inside
the bumper. (A small piece will be
trimmed from one of these later to
make room for the hoses.)
My car only had this one of the two foam

air guides on each side (between the
bumper bracket and the a/c pipes. If your
car has the one to be pulled out of the
bumper, when in place and the bumper is
mounted, it would come forward from the
top half of the air guide shown here.

Take the protective strips off the top of

the bumper (see picture later of
removed bumper cover).
Remove one of the fog lights. The EBA

says both, but you really only need to
remove one in order to get the metal
bumper carrier out of the bumper
cover.
Remove rectangular trims next to the

fog lights by sliding in the spring-loaded
tabs. The trims are likely to be stuck in
place by grime.
Remove the center trim by pushing in

the plastic rivet pins (dont damage
them, so that they can be re-used) and
levering out the retaining lugs.
Flat punch pushing out center pins of

plastic rivets, allowing the rivets to be
removed.

Flat lugs at top of center trim push them

out from the back.
Lugs at bottom of center trim and grill.

There are also three at the top of the grill
portion (right side in this picture) that are
hard to see here.
Put a pen through the pre-cut holes for

the fog-light nozzles in the bottom side
of the bumper, and mark the center of
the hole on the inside of the plastic
bumper cover (since there are angles
and drawing a circle would be
difficult).
Pre-cut fog-light nozzle hole on the lower

side of the carrier is near the vertical bar in
this picture, and has a notch. Mark the
middle of the hole on the inside of the
plastic bumper cover. Note two plastic
rivets on the front of the metal bumper
carrier that come out in the next step they
are the small black plastic projections in the
picture.

Remove the plastic rivet pins along the

front and bottom sides of the bumper
carrier, from the inside. Careful not to
mash a pin if its tight.
One of the plastic rivets along the bottom

side of the carrier is shown in the center of
the picture. The head that these rivets have
is partly pulled up here.
Remove the metal bumper carrier from

the plastic bumper cover.
Bumper cover with bumper carrier, right fog

light, trim plates, center trim and grill, and
license carrier removed. The strips on the
top rear edge of the bumper cover are
partially removed. (Notice the poor working
conditions in the absence of a big enough
garage. I highly recommend doing these
procedures in a comfortable-sized garage to
avoid the frustrations of rain, snow, finger-
numbing cold, pouring-sweat heat, and
swarming mosquitoes!)
Step 2. Install nozzles

Drill a small marker hole from the
inside of the bumper cover to the
outside, where you earlier marked the
center of the fog-light nozzle holes.
Then use that marker hole to drill the
28mm fog-light nozzle holes in the
bumper from the outside. Dont drill the
fog-light or headlight holes on the
wrong (top/bottom) side of the bumper,
theyre different sizes triple check
everything before you drill; the fog-light
hole is, unexpectedly, the bigger hole.
The hole does not need to be exactly
28mm if you cant find that drill size
(stereo installations seem to use that
size somewhat) a little bigger should
be okay.
Right underside of the bumper showing the large fog-light-nozzle hole already cut, and hole saw with pilot bit.

Heres an important note on the

EBA instructions: most of them give
dimensions on where to cut the
16mm hole for the top, headlight
nozzles. But on my car these
dimensions were slightly off and
required me to cut the nozzle
washer to get the nozzle to fit on.
EBA page with dimensions shown next

to their reference holes, left side of the
bumper. In my case these were not
applicable.
Instead, in my case, I believe the text in an EBA supplement applied: Note in the case of more recent
bumpers, mark the half-moon-shaped22 cut-out [that is] on the topside of the bumper carrier bar from the
inside [i.e., mark the outline of the cut-out in the metal onto the underside of the upper part of the plastic
bumper cover] and punch-mark the center point on the top side of the bumper. Since it seems hard to
punch-mark the center point on the top side of the bumper cover when the outline mark is on the
underside, line up the nozzle assembly on the underside with the outline, and mark the center point of where
the shaft would come through.
Then drill a pilot hole through from

underside to top side, as for the fog-
nozzle hole, and drill the 16mm hole
from top side to underside (using a
hole saw with a pilot bit, I found no
need for the 3.5mm pilot hole
described in the EBA).
Right top side of bumper with 16mm hole

for headlight nozzles already drilled.
Metric-sized hole saw was from Morse.
22
Id say its more like a circle missing a smaller half-moon shape.

Cut the notches for the lug on the

headlight nozzles 5mm out from the
circular hole, 3mm wide. The first one I
did painfully slowly with the mini-file
seen in the picture. The second one I
did in 8 seconds with a reciprocating
saw cut very carefully if you do the
second method!
Note that the notch you make for the

headlight nozzles points forward; the pre-cut
notch for the fog-light nozzles points
rearward.
Install headlight nozzles in the top

holes left and right nozzles are
different.23 Put the lug in the notch you
cut earlier. Use the metal, not plastic,
nuts.
This is the headlight nozzle assembly with

beveled plastic washer.
Headlight nozzle installed, viewed from

inside the bumper. Heres the circle with a
half moon missingshaped hole. You can
see the slight misplacement of the hole cut
in the blue bumper cover (to avoid, see
above), requiring cuts in the beveled plastic
washer to get the nozzle to fit. The nut
holds the washer and nozzle to the bumper
cover, not to the metal bumper carrier.
23
Note, when the EBA says at this point, fig. F34 61 003, to install the front bumper it means install the bumper cover
on the bumper carrier, not the whole bumper assembly on the car!

Beveled washer cut to fit along the edge of

the bumper carrier pre-cut hole. You
shouldnt need to do this if you use the
revised method described in the text
earlier, for later cars.
Install the fog-light nozzles in the

bottom holes. Lug into notch again.
Use the plastic, not metal, nuts.
Fog-light nozzle installed. It is secured to

the metal bumper carrier, not the plastic
bumper cover. Note the hose holder that
will be clipped into the nearby square hole,
in the next step.

Step 3. Install hoses

If applicable (early cars), replace the wire holder on the bumper carrier with new hose/wire holders, and insert
the wires into the space between where the hoses go.
If you are not using already-joined hose assemblies from a donor car, put together your hoses, junction pieces,
and valves, and secure with the special squeeze clamps or screw hose clamps, according to the EBA and
pictures below. The squeeze clamps close with a special kind of pliers, similar to Oetiker clamp pliers, that pull
a hook end of the band clamp over a flange in the other end of the band.
If you are using donor hoses, I recommend replacing the valve pieces at the end of the hoses, as they are not
expensive and some of mine were stuck shut. If you do need to detach hoses for this or other reasons, the
original factory hose clamps can be easily loosened by sliding the mating ends to one side of each other, rather
than trying to lever the hook end over the top of the flange. That way they dont get damaged much in
removal, and can be re-used. Use glycerine to lubricate the inside of the tubes when inserting new valves.
Glycerine is often available in drug stores as a hand lotion.
Clip the white distribution block

into its hole on the left side (for the
535i many other variants use the
right side; reverse things as
necessary) of the bumper carrier.
Coat the valves with glycerine and
insert them into the nozzles. Insert
hoses into the hose holders, and
into the c-shaped plastic brace if
not already done.
Left-side hoses attached, with

distributor block in background, and a
hose holder in foreground.
Right-side hoses attached, with c-

shaped hose brace visible at right
behind the metal bar.

Step 4. Install tank

Turn the relevant two clips at the top
90 and take out the trim behind the
left headlights (it is to be replaced with
a new one).
New trim on right, with space for washer

fluid tank.
Take off the alternator-cooling air duct

and remove the charcoal filter canister
for access.
Alternator air duct is to the left of the

charcoal filter canister in the picture. Plastic
nuts for the tank go in the square holes in
the flange at right.
Attach the foam pad on the back side

of the tank.
Dont forget to release the headlight

washer pump wires from their clip on
the side of the engine bay before you
put in the tank.
This is the bottom side of the tank, it will be

flipped over for installation.

If not using an already-assembled

system, connect hoses to the tank
pump and the connector for the
distribution block. Put a hose holder
around the hoses 200mm from the
connector. In the case of the 535i, run
the top pump hose forward to the top
distribution block port. Other models
can run to the bottom port.
Lower end of the tank with hoses coming

forward to bumper area. In my case the
hoses were bent around when attaching to
the distribution block so the prongs faced to
the left of the car. Note outside temperature
sensor to the left in the picture, and the
tank locating tab sticking through its slot.
Insert the plastic nuts into the square

holes in their flange near where the top
of the tank goes. Insert the tank into
the locating slot at the bottom, and
screw it down.
Tank installed. Note non-rusty replacement

charcoal filter!
Attach wire connector to pump.
Grey wire connector attached to top of

pump view is looking down the front of
the tank.

Step 5. Reinstall bumper

Reattach the outside-temperature
sensor. Reassemble the bumper. If you
have the air duct foam pieces, cut off
the flap where the hoses need to go,
and re-install the pieces. Prop the left
side of the bumper up. Connect the
hoses from the tank to the distribution
block, using glycerine, ensuring there
are two o-rings on each tube prong,
and following the installation direction
listed in the EBA. For my 535i, the
hoses did a big u-turn and the top
pump hose connected to the top
distribution block port.
View of tank hose alignment from above,
with the bumper still detached.
Bolt on the bumper (torque is 48 N-m)

and attach its trims.
View of the tank hoses and distribution

block, looking up and forward at the left
side of the bumper, from underneath. Here
the bumper is attached to the car.
Step 6. Install module

Put the control module into the empty
relay base in the front fuse box.
Fingers crossed, give the system a test

should come on with every fifth
windscreen wash application with
headlights / fog lights on!24
24
Note that the EBA says that certain models sounds like the more basic ones not supplied to the United States may
need a software upgrade at the dealer for the basic central control module.

Intensive-Cleaning System
For the intensive cleaning, the steps are:
1. Install hoses and windshield nozzles

2. Install tank
3. Run wiring
4. Change stalk switch
5. Install relay
Step 1. Install hoses and windshield nozzles
Remove the insulating material

from the underside of the hood
plastic screw rivets. (See underhood
light chapter.)
Disconnect the old hoses and

connectors from the windshield
washer nozzles. To get off the old
hose clamps easily, lever the top
end to the side across the other
end, rather than over the top.
Remove the nozzles from the

hood.
Squeeze the tab visible at the bottom

of the nozzle and pull the nozzle
toward the bottom of the picture to
release it from the hood.

Attach both the old hoses and the new

intensive-cleaning system hoses to the
new nozzles using hose clamps.
Intensive nozzle with dual hoses and

electrical connector attached. Note clip the
electrical connector fits in.
Remove the air filter box, in order to be

able to remove the plastic trim behind
the right headlights. When lifting out
the box, be aware that the rubber
mounts underneath might fall off the
box onto the ground or the engine-bay
pan.
Turn the clips at the top of the plastic

trim behind the headlights a quarter
turn and remove the trim.
Loosen, dont remove, the nut on the air

filter box toward the bottom of the picture,
and loosen the duct clamp at left.
Lay out and secure the new hoses in

the existing hose holders on the hood.
Run the hose down through the hole
in the horizontal sheet metal in front of
the radiator, toward the tank.

Secure the hose under the sheetmetal

at the top front of the engine bay, using
the existing wire and hose straps.
View behind the right headlights.
Run the hose to the intensive pump,

clamp it on, and insert the pump into
the tank through its grommet.
Step 2. Install tank

Slide the intensive cleaner tank onto
the regular washer fluid tank.

Step 3. Run wiring

The diagram below shows one way to make the intensive washer system circuit.
This shows the wiring as I installed it on my car, similar but not identical to the factory installation. The dotted lines show
wires for the factory installation that were already on my car.
Wire color abbreviations used in this guide:

bk black
bu blue
wi white
vi violet
gy gray
gn green
rd red
ye yellow
or orange
br brown

Starting with the power end of the
circuit, open up the main fuse and
relay box (hereafter, front fuse
box) in the engine bay.
There are five very small Torx

T10 screws to come out. Youll
need a long, thin-shaft Torx
screwdriver. Be careful not to strip
the screws as they can be stiff, and
there would be almost no way to
open up the box without
damaging it if a screw were
stripped.
Unbolt the hood guide and move

it out of the way.
Socket wrench unbolting the rear bolt

on the hood guide.
Lift off the middle section of the

front fuse box that holds the relays
and fuses. Its an awkward
maneuver to bring it out, theres
little clearance and the wires
restrict things. Then turn the
section over so that you can
access the release catches for the
fuse-holding section. The catches
need to be pushed back at each
end, and the section pushed out
downward.
Fuse-holder row is to the rear in this

picture.

I chose to get power for the intensive pump from fuse 24, which is used in the factory set up, and is the power
source for the regular windscreen washer pump too. To take out fuse 24, push out the white contact-locking
bar from one end. Then look at the colors of the wires going to the F24 slot, youll want to release the wire
and contact that is downstream of the fuse in my case the appropriate wire was bk/vi.25
Look at the top of the fuse slot and

locate the square holes on either side
of the middle of the correct contact.
Then push a fuse contactreleasing
special tool, or more likely, if you
dont have it, micro-screwdrivers,
down the holes to move inwards the
slightly-bent tabs that hold in the
contact. When both tabs are moved,
they will clear the flanges on the
holder and the contact can slide out.
The fuse-holder row, with the white

release bar pulled out part of the way.
Note the straightened paper clip that will
be used to push in one of the contact
release tabs, and the mini-screwdriver for
the other tab.
When the wire and contact are out, cut off the old contact, well replace it with a new contact crimped onto
two wires.
Oddly for my car since it had some of the intensive system wiring, had the headlight washer wiring, and had
pretty much all the other optional accessory wiring, and since a lot of 525s seem to have the intensive wiring
over to the pump my car did not have that wiring. The engine bay, where the wires run to the pump, is a
wet area, so wiring that is waterproof from the front fuse box up to and including the pump connector is
needed. I procured a waterproof connector and pair of wires that were actually for a right-mounted headlight-
washer tank from a 525i donor car. These ran all the way around the engine bay rear to the small front relay
box forward of the main front fuse box, so would also reach well into the front fuse box in my installation.
E32s would sometimes have such wires, and wiring to the regular windshield washer pump should also work.
I re-wrapped the pair of wires in

friction tape, which took quite a
while, but was worth it for the stock
look. Plug the connector onto the
pump and run the wires from the
intensive tank around the back of
the engine bay to the front of the
fuse box.
Remove this cover (note the two plastic

screw clips, one on its post, one off) at
the right rear of the engine bay, and
run the taped wires (visible in the
picture) under it, zip tying it along the
other wiring harnesses.
25
Check the wiring diagrams (Electronic Troubleshooting Manual) for your model.

Remove the nuts holding on the coolant

expansion tank, then the nuts holding on
the metal wire channel underneath it. Zip
tie the wires to the channel, as the existing
harnesses are.
Pull off the tight cover to the auxiliary

coolant pump at the left rear of the engine
bay, and continue to zip tie the harness.
Finally, loosen the cover on the front fuse

box wire-entry hole and put the harness
into the box, and then through the
grommets into the inner chamber. A cable
strap holds the big harness by the strut
tower (not present in this picture); if it or
others break, replacement cable straps are
61 13 1 389 024 or 61 13 1 373 565
(shorter).

Now take the positive lead of your

two added wires (check the wiring
diagrams for your donor car or look
for the +/- signs on the connector
on the pump), bk/gy in my case,
and crimp it, along with the bk/vi
wire from F24, to a new fuse
contact. For information on
crimping, and the factory wire-
contact system, see Appendix II.
Bk/gy wire on right crimped, along with

bk/vi wire in center, to a new fuse
contact.
Insert the contact into the F24 slot making sure it clicks into place, slide the white retaining bar back in, and
restore the fuse. Put the fuse-holder row back in the larger holder.
Next, connect the other lead from the pump to connector X13 in the driver footwell. Start by removing all the
under-dash and footwell trims (see chapter on drivers glove box).
Find where the wires go from the

very bottom of the front fuse box
through the firewall into the under-
dash area.
This view is looking down at the bottom

rear of the front fuse box, underneath
the middle fuse/relay-holding section.
There are three groups of wires here:
the red ones at the top of the picture
are the hot leads, all connected to studs
on the back wall; the harnesses at the
bottom (going into the friction tape at
left) are spliced together according to
their color; the middle group (with
many yellow-banded wires) is the one
that goes through the hole to the under-
dash area.

Ease a new wire through the hole into

the under-dash area.
Pull the wire through and down to

X13, a large white connector clipped to
the lower left side of the footwell.
Under-dash area, with the new wire (bu/ye)

coming through the firewall grommet down
to the white X13 connector.
Now splice the wire from the pump to

the front fuse box end of the new wire,
or use a single-pin connector as I did,
which works better than a butt
connector if the wire sizes are different.
Bk/br wire from the pump loops around

and joins the new bu/ye wire using a black
single-pin connector.

Unclip the X13 connector and separate the two halves by levering out the sliding portion at one end.
Look carefully at the top half, at the

face of the connector where the
wires go in. There will be four tiny
tabs around the edge of the inner
portion of the connector, holding
the inner portion in a particular
position. In this position, the inner
portion locks the contacts in, so to
release or insert a contact, the inner
portion must be slid over to the side
very slightly its tabs must move to
the other side of the outer-portion
tabs. To do so, lever out the outer
portion gently, and with your third
hand move the inner portion over.
An example of the tabs holding an

inner portion of a connector in the pin-
locking position (of course this example
is not the white X13 connector).
Alternatively, the inner portion can be pulled out of the outer portion entirely, but that takes a lot of fingers to
move different release tabs, and is not the official method.
Once the inner portion is moved

slightly, crimp on a contact and
insert the wire into the pin 5 hole.
New bu/ye wire inserted into X13/5.

Note, the curved and grooved right end
of the connector is the part you pull out
to separate the two halves; it is now
pushed back in.

The circuit then runs to the wiper
switch stalk and back to X13. On
my car the wiring to and from the
switch was already in place, even
though the car did not have the
intensive-wash feature. So the next
wire needed is from X13/3 back
out to the front fuse box, where it
joins the wiper relay. Follow a
similar procedure to go through the
firewall as for the last wire.
Contact crimped on new wire (bk/ye)

being inserted in X13/3 (look just right
of the red tape). It should mate up with
a pre-existing bk/vi/ye wire on the
other side of the connector when the
halves are joined.
The intensive-cleaning system uses a slightly different wiper relay. My car had a mini-relay (half the normal
width) for its wiper relay; many other versions of the E32 and E34 use a normal-size relay.26 Check the
Electronic Troubleshooting Manual (ETM see Appendix III) relay-position diagrams to find out which yours
has, and substitute an intensive-system relay of the appropriate size. If needed, you can convert from one size
to the other by taking the contacts out of one size of relay holder and putting them in the other, and then using
a different hole in the front fuse box. There are usually blanks in one or more slots in the relay holder where
you can put a new relay.
The mini-relay holder used a

smaller contact in the relevant slot,
for which I did not find the part
number, so I just used a junkyard
contact with wire attached from
another mini-relay holder. After
releasing the contact from its
original donor relay base (tricky to
get out again, you could just
carefully cut the base to free the
contact without damage), I attached
a single-pin connector at the other
end, and inserted the contact into
the relay base on my car. Make
sure you put the contact into the
slot for the correct one of the two
mini-relays on the base, pin 9.
26
My explorations of cars and ETMs suggest that for the E32 only the 1991 model used the mini-relay.

Attach the other half of the single-pin

connector to the wire brought forward
from X13, and connect the halves.
Re-insert the relay base into the front

fuse box holder, from the bottom.
Carefully put the front fuse box back

together, making sure no wires are
pinched between the sections, and that
the edges seal properly. Insert the new
intensive wiper mini-relay.
The 5-pin intensive relay is the grey half-

size relay. On some models it is on the right
side of that relay base, or a full-size dark
blue relay is used there or in another slot.
Note the blanking plugs, which can be
removed if a slot is needed for a full-size
relay.
Put on the fuse box lid. Re-install the hood guide, making sure the hood switch and release cable are seated
properly on it. Adjust the rear of the guide under its bolt so that it goes in the same position it used to be
look for the bolt washer mark on the guide.
Step 4. Change stalk switch

The intensive system has its own wiper switch stalk (and there are different ones for Tourings). It would be
fairly easy to modify a regular (U.S. telephone-wired) switch if needed, making use of the telephone circuit
wires.

The intensive pump is activated by

pushing the end of the lever inwards,
and the relevant wires are the ones
coming out of the stalk itself (see
picture). On the regular switch, one of
the brown stalk wires already goes to
an appropriate bk/gn wire (leading to
a single-pin connector near X295); the
other brown wire might need a new
dedicated wire to duplicate the bk/vi
wire of the intensive switch check the
telephone wiring diagrams.
Regular switch on the left, intensive on the

right.
Remove the steering column trims (see

chapter on rear fog lights).
Then un-zip-tie the harnesses along the

steering column, and free the one for
the wiper switch.
Three zip-ties removed from wire channel.

They can be reused if desired. Note the
single-pin white connector at the bottom
left of the picture. That is where the bk/gn
wire from the switch goes on some
telephone-wired cars, rather than to pin 7
on X295.

Disconnect the harness at X295

under the dash.
Connector X295 (8-pin, black):

rightmost of the two black connectors in
this picture.
Squeeze the tabs to release the

wiper switch and stalk.
View looking down at the top right of

the steering column.
Insert the new switch, route the harness, zip tie everything, and plug in the harness at X295.
Put everything in the footwell and front fuse box back together.
Step 5. Install relay

Insert the relay in the appropriate slot in the front fuse box.
Fill the intensive tank with factory Intensive Cleaner, if you can find it, or some other appropriate fluid.
Now get ready for a fancy show. Test the headlight/fog-light washers by turning on the car (so you dont drain
the battery), the headlights, and the fog lights. Then turn on the windscreen washer a few times, spaced apart
a few seconds, and turn off and on the lights if needed. If everything is put together correctly, sooner or later
the control module will turn on the headlight/fog-light washers the headlight washers will come on together
first, then fog-light washers, then each again in turn.

The headlight washers in action.
Theres a special tool (a Waschdseneinstellschlssel! washer-nozzle-adjusting-key, see special tool

appendix) that allows alignment of the headlight nozzles, which are hard to move otherwise. If you got a used
headlight washing system from a donor car youre probably in luck and they are correct already.
But where do you actually aim them? You came to the right source for the tip: in some of the EBA for
headlight washer installations on the E32 (e.g., 01 29 9 781 825 or 01 29 9 786 007), there is a diagram with
specifications for the aim points.
Unfortunately, in the EBA illustration theres a disconnect between the drawing and the written specification. It
looks like the key might have become mixed up. The diagram below is my own, and it assumes that the EBA
drawing is right and the key is mislabeled. If you think the drawing is wrong and the key is right, just reverse
the low-beam/high-beam specs.
Possible aiming points for headlight washer jets.
Next test the intensive cleaning system: when you push in the wiper stalk along its axis, first the intensive
pump should come on, then the wipers, then the regular pump should spray regular washer fluid. Presto,
cleaner glass ....

2. Headlight-Beam Adjusters and Headlights
Got a heavy load?
In Europe, headlight-beam adjusters are sometimes required to lower the
headlight beams when a heavy load in the trunk tilts them up excessively,
potentially blinding oncoming drivers. Small motors behind the headlight
Project Profile
assemblies tilt the low-beam headlights up and down slightly, to one of Coolness: &&
three positions. The adjusting switch goes to the left of the fog-light switch.
Utility:
The headlight-beam adjusters can be added to non-European headlight Difficulty:
assemblies, but while youre at it you could switch to the superior Time:
European headlights with adjusters already on, where legal (I believe the Cost: ss
superior headlights are not legal in the United States for on-road use). The
description below covers both procedures.
Parts
Headlight adjusting only came on European versions; from 9/91 2 67 16 8 355 148 220
motors
Headlight harness yellow, 2-pin for European low beams 2 61 13 1 378 403 1
connectors white, 2-pin for European high beams 2 61 13 1 378 401 1
gray, 2-pin for European city lights may not be needed 2 61 13 1 378 406 1
for adjusting motors, 3-pin 2 61 13 1 378 955 1
ideally, get all the above included with used assemblies
Headlight adjusting ideally, get included with used assemblies 1 61 31 8 351 269 38
switch
Adjusting screws, D. adjuster (manual) 4 63 12 1 378 368 6
sockets B. intermed piece-pivot, 9/89+ (plastic, for Bosch) 4 63 12 1 394 252 4
B. intermed piece (knurled non-adjusting bolt, for Hella) 4 63 12 1 378 339 7
A. knurled bolt [not really knurled, has long plastic turner] 2 61 12 1 388 027 5
rubber bushing (actually, plastic) 12 63 12 1 378 369 2
rubber bushing (possibly needed instead of 2 of the above) 2 63 12 1 386 616 2
Headlight vertical aim C. motors; -9/91 2 67 16 8 351 878
control 2 63 12 1 391 435
9/91- (later versions reportedly better weatherproofed) 2 67 16 8 355 148
2 67 16 8 355 728
Total cost (new): $350
Positions of headlight-poisitioning bolts listed above, as viewed from the drivers seat (black circles represent
the headlights):
[left side] A B B D D B B A [right side]

C D D C
A and top-row D bolts adjust left-right aiming, C and bottom-row D bolts adjust up-down aiming. C is
the motor rod, when the motors are installed; the rods are still set manually, the switch provides a fixed
adjustment from the standard setting. For setting, C and D have phillips screwdriver slots in the end of the
bolts accessible through the grills, A has a plastic extension, turnable by hand or flat screwdriver, accessed
through the engine bay.
Einbauanleitung
Headlight Beam Throw Adjustment, 783 621, 1/90
Headlight Vertical Aim Control, 787 538, 2/93
Installation
Steps are as follows:

1. Remove grills
2. Remove headlight rear covers and headlight assemblies
3. Replace locating bolts
4. Install motors
5. Make and lay harness
6. Install switch
7. Reinstall headlights and align
Step 1. Remove grills

Remove the wide center grill / trim piece. Start with the single screw-clip that goes through the sheet metal on
top. Then, using a very long-bladed screwdriver, push down a release tab near the ends of the long trim piece
while pulling out the end slightly. The screwdriver goes through a hole in the side grill plastic at the front top
ledge of the engine bay, and through a small hole in the sheet metal below.
Its difficult to get the screwdriver in

the right place at the bottom
through the small hole, unless you
pull off the headlight rear trim, and
look for the small round hole on the
sheet metal. It is very hard to spot
the hole, the headlight assemblies
are in the way, but it is possible
from certain angles. Guide the tip
of the screwdriver through that
hole.
In this picture the screwdriver is in place

but not at final angle to go through the
small lower hole. The grill has been
removed and pulled forward slightly to
show the black plastic locking tab that
the screwdriver pushes downwards.
If you lever off the outside of the trim with a screwdriver, cover the screwdriver so it doesnt scratch. Be
careful, theres a black plastic tab that is part of the plastic grill, and it can get broken off. Dont lever hard or
the long grill piece might bend.
With the ends of the center grill

loose, depress four catches near the
kidneys in the middle of the grill.
The two at the top need to be
pulled up slightly; the two at the
bottom pushed down (through the
grill). Then you can pull off the
whole center grill / trim.
Screwdriver is pointing to one of the

lower release tabs and the hole the tab
goes into. Upper tab is directly above it
at the top of the kidney.

Headlight-Beam Adjusters and Headlights E34 Factory Options Guide
Next unscrew four screw clips and
one sheet-metal screw, which hold
on each side grill. They are
accessed from the front. Be careful
with the screw clips, the plastic
screw heads can easily strip,
requiring drilling out the screw.
Two of the eight screw clips are visible,

in this case under the left high-beam
headlight.
Single screw underneath the turn

signal.
Step 2. Remove headlight

rear covers and headlight
assemblies
Remove the plastic covers from
behind the headlights by turning
the two clips at the top a quarter
turn.
Then, remove three screws holding

on the headlight assembly from the
front.

Finally, remove three screws at the
outer side of the rear of the
headlight assemblies. These screws
are hard to reach remove the
trims behind the headlights for
easier access.
Uppermost screw is out of the picture,

but it is just beside the long plastic
adjusting-screw handle (which is the
white bar at the top right of this
picture). The screws can be hard to
reach and to get the screwdriver tip into
the screw head certain longer
screwdrivers can work, or a phillips
socket on a socket wrench, possibly in
combination with a universal joint
socket.
Step 3. Replace locating

bolts
The plastic parts of the various
locating bolts are often split and the
bolts rusted. If you want you can
replace them, but in my case they
actually were still functional in
terms of being able to adjust the
headlights manually and with the
motors.
This is the left headlight plate, viewed

as from the front of the car, with six
new locating bolts.
Step 4. Install motors

Test the motors by applying current
per the wiring diagram. The rods
should move in and out.
If youre installing motors, gently

attach the plastic cylindrical
adaptors to the headlight plate,
then insert and twist on the motors
while holding the adaptors, not the
plate.
Motor is at bottom (rectangular-

connector type). Note city-light tube
and connector at top left.

A strong word of warning on old

adaptors: the prongs that go into
the headlight plate are extremely
fragile, and once the prongs break,
theres no way to mount them and,
hence, the motors. Do not take out
or insert the adaptors and motors
unless you really have to or you
have new adaptors available.
An old adapter with most of the prongs

broken off is to the left. A new adapter
is in position behind the plate on the
right. The prongs of the new adapter
are visible sticking up through the plate.
After a while these become extremely
brittle, perhaps because of headlight
heat.
Step 5. Make and lay harness
Diagram shows some wire colors/sizes from the factory harness. Numbers are wire cross-section size in mm2. Short-dashed
lines are existing wires.

The diagram above is for the 1992 535i, based on a European wiring diagram that showed the headlight-
beam adjusters. There are various ways to design and run the wiring. I will describe one way; modify as you
like.
Because certain wires need to go through tight grommets into and out of the front fuse box in the engine bay,
build up the harness as you go along, starting at the front, rather than making it all then installing it.
Crimp the wire tails of three weatherproof pins for the right headlight motor connector to new wires that will
lead all the way to the front fuse box.
Lay the wires along their approximate route to the fuse box, in order to cut them to length, noting that the
wires have to go all the way into the waterproof area of the fuse box, down to the bottom side of the fuse box,
and well into it.
Wrap the wires in fabric tape from the connector just to where they will meet up with the similar left headlight
wires.
Lay the wires from the right headlight to the left side. There is a nice channel available in front of the lower
part of the radiator, about an inch tall, opening toward the rear. The EBA appears to use this, or at least shows
the wires running close by. The channel starts just behind and below the headlights; the center grill clips into it
in the middle. Zip tie the wires using the holes along the top of the channel.
Crimp on wires for the left connector, which will also go to the fuse box.
Wrap the left- and right-side wires together with fabric tape.
Lay the harness along the existing harness up to the fuse box, and attach it using the existing wire straps. Be
very careful when opening up the straps, they are very thin and can break easily after all these years.
Open up the fuse box, and unscrew the middle section five very small (Torx T10) and very stiff screws. Be
extremely careful not to strip the small screw heads, it would be exceedingly difficult to get the fuse box section
off without breaking it if a screw gets stuck in place. Perhaps, upon reinstallation, use some kind of anti-sieze
lubricant on the threads.
Take off the hood guide to the left of the fuse box two 10mm bolts after marking the position of the rear of
the guide relative to its bolt. (See chapter on headlight, fog-light, and intensive washers.)
Run the harness into the waterproof

area through the hole, then into the
fuse box itself through its grommet.
View is looking straight down into the

front fuse box. Front of car is to the left.
Center section is tipped upwards, at top
of picture. Thin headlight motor harness
is visible in darker black fabric wrap.

Crimp each of the three pairs of similar wires (one from the left headlight, one from the right, for each pair)
onto a single respective connector pin, and put the three pins into one half of a spare three-pin connector.
Remove the pedal cover in the

drivers footwell and the dash trim
to the lower left of the steering
column (see chapter on drivers
glovebox). Remove the flat circle of
insulation around the large wire
bundle at top left front of the
footwell, if its still there.
Upper left corner of the drivers

footwell, showing the wire bundles
going forward through the firewall.
Look for the hole at the back right of the fuse box where a large wire bundle runs through the firewall into the
underdash area. Run three new wires through the hole. Try easing them through by hand, but if that doesnt
work, tape the end of each wire tightly to a screwdriver point, and gently ease it and the screwdriver through
the hole together. Then look for the end from the footwell side, untape the wire from the screwdriver, and pull
it all the way through.
Make sure you have enough wire in

the footwell (especially for the wire
going all the way to the switch),
then cut the wires and crimp pins
on their fuse-box ends. Insert the
pins in the second half of the three-
pin connector, and join the
connector. Dont forget to slide the
relevant parts of the connector
halves over slightly to lock the
contacts in place.
The added three-pin connector in the

fuse box. Wires go through the firewall
to the right, in the area towards the
bottom of the picture.
If you like, you can skip the supplementary two-pin connector method shown in the wiring diagram earlier for
the X15 connections, and splice directly into new pins for those slots. Using the supplementary connector
does maintain the integrity of the original wiring, and is the way the factory usually does such wiring add-ons
as shown in various EBA.

Add pins to the appropriate two

wires going to connector X15,
while splicing on the additional new
wires, per the wiring diagram.
Supplementary wiring harness. Wires

from the switch come down from the
top right of the picture. Supplementary
two-pin connector is at lower left.
Rd/wi and rd/bu wires are joined at
pins in the added connector. New wires
then lead to the disconnected half of
X15 shown in the picture.
Remove the original pins from X15/8 and /30, and plug them and the other pins into one half of the
supplementary connector as shown in the wiring diagram. Plug the new wires from the other half of the
supplementary connector into X15/8 and /30.
Crimp ring terminals to the ground wires as in the wiring diagram; add them to the underdash ground posts.
Step 6. Install switch
Crimp contact pins on the remaining three wires going to the switch, and insert them in the connector.
Release the instrument cluster two small screws at the top underneath the cowl (see chapter on rear fog
lights). Pull it forward as far as it will go, being careful not to scratch surfaces. You probably have just enough
access to run the wires without taking the cluster out completely. Lay the appropriate wires from the
underdash area behind the cluster, and up to the switch area.
Gently lever out the switch trim,

which also holds the fog-light switch
and maybe the alarm sensor and
LED.
Push out the blanking plate for the

beam adjuster switch from the rear.
Bring the connector through the

switch hole, attach the connector to
the switch, and insert the switch in
the trim.
Reinstall the switch trim. Put back

the instrument cluster.
Step 7. Reinstall headlights and align

Re-mount the headlight assemblies and grills.

If using the European headlights,
new wire connectors will be needed
since the European headlights use
the standard factory connectors,
while the U.S. headlights use
completely different ones.
Insert new waterproof-pin wires in

the connectors and crimp butt
connectors to the other ends.
New connectors for the high-beam

(white) and low-beam (yellow)
headlights.
Then cut off the old headlight

connectors from the vehicle wires
coming to the headlights, and
always after putting on heatshrink
tubing crimp the cut wires to the
free end of the butt connectors.
Heat the heatshrink tubing in place

over the butt connectors. I then
wrapped the joint in electrical tape.
Lower wire shows the heatshrink

tubing, upper wire shows electrical tape
wrap on top of the heatshrink tubing.
Finally, wrap the wires in fabric

tape.

Some of the European low-beam headlights incorporate city lights, which are a low-power light at the top of
the lens, like daytime-running lights a cheap version of the angel eyes headlights that for some reason are
so popular now. If you live outside of the United States and have deleted the side-marker lights in the bumper
(see the chapter on the underhood light, and the section on European bumper trims in the Accessories and
Other Options chapter), its especially easy to wire up these city lights.
Coincidentally, the wire lead to the bumper side marker on your car should simply be long enough to plug its
male grey connector directly into the city lights female grey connector!27 ( ... Or it may not be coincidental if
the factory cleverly decided to just utilize the city-light harness for the side-marker lights that are used in the
United States.) All you need to do is re-route the wire up from the bumper.
Look for the zip-ties where the fog-

light part of the harness splits off.
Cut off and replace the zip-tie,
taking up some of the slack that
there is towards the fog lights, so
that the city-light part of the
harness will reach the city-light
connector.
Left-side, view where the headlight-

washer tank would normally sit.
Harness comes from fender at left, dips
down to where the fog-light harness
splits off and goes out of view (zip-tie is
just visible at front edge of the flat blue
sheetmetal plate in the picture), then
goes up to city-light connector (looks
white but is actually grey) at the top of
the picture.
On the right side, if youre using

the side-marker circuit to power
the underhood light, do a splice in
the power wire leading to the city-
light connector to power the
underhood light too.
Right side, view where the windshield

washer tank(s) would normally sit. If
adding the underhood light, you can
splice into the power wire going to the
grey city-light connector at the top of
the picture (see chapter on the
underhood light for a picture of the
splice).
27
If youd rather not move the side-marker wires, just make a wire bridge harness to go from the now-free side-marker-
light connector to the city-light connector, using additional male and female connectors and short sections of waterproof-
pin wire.
Plug in the connectors.
View of the left side with all connectors

connected:
top left, grey: city-lights;
right, white: high-beam;
bottom, black: headlight motor;
center, yellow: low-beam.
Strangely, since the factory is so

good at integrating such things, on
the left side, the trim behind the
headlights didnt seem to want to
accommodate the city-light
connector. Cut out a small hole if
needed. The right side was close,
but seemed okay.
City lights at top of low-beam

headlights.

Have your headlights aligned professionally, or do it yourself using instructions availabe on the Internet.
Test the headlight-beam adjustment system.
Pretty cool youre on your way to filling in all the blank switch holes on your dash and seats!

3. Underhood Light
Light up your (engines) night
This convenient feature was included on early models from 1989 through
part of 1991, then deleted, then for some reason included on the 1993
models, according to the wiring diagrams.
Project Profile
Coolness: &&
In the factory installation, the parking light circuit must be on for the
Utility:
underhood light to come on, presumably to prevent battery drain when
the hood is up and hence the light would be on. The wiring harness that Difficulty:
goes on the underside of the hood can be obtained from various junkyard Time:
E34s and E32s. It does not have a readily accessible connector attaching it Cost: s
to the rest of the wiring harnesses in the engine bay, so its easiest to cut it
off.
Parts
Underhood light switch 1 61 31 1 379 572 $3.50
Underhood light 1 63 31 8 350 554 $7.40
Bulb 10W 1 63 21 7 160 912 ~$1
Harness cut wires from donor car harness whole engine 1 ~$3
harness would cost $100 even from a junkyard
Total cost: $15
Note the bulb is listed as a 10W bulb, not a 5W like some of the other similar oblong bulbs in the car.
Einbauanleitung
None
Preparatory
For power, I ran a new wire from the right side-marker light connector to the hood light harness.
To plug into the vehicle side of that

connector, I ran the new wire to a
factory connector half that matched
and replaced the side-marker-light
side of that connector.
Most of the factory 2-pin

waterproof connectors are designed
to have incompatible shapes, often
color coded (white, yellow, grey,
black), presumably to avoid people
incorrectly hooking up wires. We
want the grey connector. The side-
marker light itself does not have the
matching female28 wire connector
since the male harness connector
plugs directly onto the lens
assembly. So a spare must be
obtained elsewhere.
28
This connectors contact pins are male, the actual plastic connector part is female. Gender references here will be to the
connector, not to the pins.

The required female grey

connector, somewhat rare on the
car, can be found on later-model
windshield washer jet heaters on
the underside of the hood, and
sometimes on doors. The male
connector already on the side-
marker harness is 61 13 1 378 402;
the female to get from the washer
jets is 61 13 1 378 406. Or just
order it new! (If you are converting
to non-side-marker bumper strips,
you could get extras to plug up the
other three connectors for the side-
marker lights that are being
deleted.)
Installation
The steps are:
1. Remove insulation
2. Attach harness
3. Install components
4. Splice in the wiring
Step 1. Remove insulation

Remove the insulation on the
underside of the hood by
unscrewing the plastic screw in the
clips, far enough to be able to pull
out the clip. Theres lots of them,
and the screws can be surprisingly
sticky for plastic, so be careful not
to strip the head. Some
replacements are inferior, having
even smaller screw slots. Some
early cars had a better clip that is
released by levering out the center
pin.
The underhood insulation mat. The

rectangular outline at the top center,
just to the left of center, is where the
underhood light goes.

Underhood Light E34 Factory Options Guide
The mat attaches with numerous clips. Unscrew the screw to allow the rivet
to be pulled out.
Step 2. Attach harness

Attach the wiring harness with the
clips that should already be on the
car for the windshield washer hoses
(and sometimes for washer jet
heater wiring). Follow the path
shown in the pictures, and add
some more clips where needed at
the top.
Upper routing. The unused cylindrical

connector hanging down loose is for
washer nozzle heaters, its the early
style as opposed to the later rectangular
one (it was part of the donor car
underhood light harness used in this
case).
Lower routing. Wire to the hood switch

is going to the lower left.

Check the underhood insulation edge

near the underhood light contact switch
for a slightly indented section, which
indicates where the wire to the switch is
intended to lie.
Routing of the wire for the contact switch.

Electrical tape added for some chafe
protection.
Step 3. Install components

Connect the rear half of the light
assembly to the wiring harness and
insert it in its hole in the hood
connector to the right.
In this picture, bulb is not yet inserted.
Light ready to be inserted into its hole.

Securing tab is on the left, push light
assembly left to release when removing
from hole.

Route the switch wire into the hood

and then out through the contact
switchs hole (you can bring it through
with a hooked pick; gently, its a small
hole). Attach the connector to the
underhood light switch, and then push
the assembly back through the hole.
Screw in the switch with the single
screw. I added a little threadlocker.
Contact switch on the far left of the picture.

The small mound of sheet metal on the
right is where the contact switch plunger
lands when the hood is closed, turning off
the underhood light.
It seems that very few cars had the nice

rubber cover for the switch. Snap one
up if you see it. I could not find a
separate part number for it.
Rubber cover installed on the light switch.

Hole in the cover, to the left, is to access
the screw holding the switch on.
Step 4. Splice in the wiring

Disconnect the car battery. Attach new
wire(s) to the wiring harness,
preferably in the front fuse box for
weather protection, or in the hood if
necessary.
Close-up of the grommet taking the wiring

harness into the bodywork. In cars
originally equipped with the underhood
light, the underhood light wires and the
heated nozzle wires are combined into one
harness. The tube just to the right is for the
windshield washer fluid. The thick wire on
the right is the hood ground strap.

Splice in the wire(s) to a power circuit, possibly one switched by the parking light switch, as in the original
installation. Wires to the right front bumper side marker do go conveniently close by. Fortunately, the side-
marker bulbs are not monitored by the Check Control (the parking lights are), so there are no potential show-
stoppers there (that is, the lack of a bulb in that circuit will not trigger a Check Control warning).
FYI, in an original 90 installation, the underhood light wires went into the harness that goes along the right
side of the engine bay, across the back of it, and in through the front of the front fuse box to a splice in the
fuse box, and thence through connectors and splices to the light switch.
I considered using a second switch rather than have the lights come on only when parking/headlights were on,
to avoid accidental illumination. But in the end, I mimicked the original design, and plugged in to the circuit
that comes on with the exterior lights. I was installing the Euro bumper trims that do not have the additional
small side-marker lights, so a nearby plug became free, providing a stock-seeming wiring installation. Check
your national and state laws, it may or may not be okay to not use those side-marker lights, and if not, you
could just tap into the wires there while leaving them connected to the side-marker light.
To access and disconnect the side-

marker connector, remove the side-
marker light assembly, hopefully by
sliding it backward in its receptacle
against a spring clip at the rear until
the front tabs clear the trim and the
assembly can be pivoted out.
Unfortunately the spring clip system
does not work very well in this
application, and the assemblies
often have to be levered out,
bending the clip. Watch out, the
clips are not attached very firmly
and can drop out.
Spring clip at the rear (for the front

marker lights) of the light assembly.
After the light assembly is out, unplug the connector.
(If you happen to be installing

headlights with city lights, see the
chapter on headlight-beam
adjusters: one convenient way to
wire up the city lights is to use the
side-marker connector for them
too. If youre doing so, modify the
wiring connections described
below, as appropriate.)
This shows the underhood light power

wire (going up under the sheet metal at
the top) spliced to the power wire for
the city lights (grey two-pin connector).
Wrap further in electrical tape and
fabric tape if desired.

Now prepare the wire and female connector that will be plugged into the side-marker light male connector.
After sliding on heat-shrink tubing,

crimp the wire on your female grey
connector to the new wire you will lay
going up to the light. (If youre clever,
maybe you could find a wire of the
right length with one of the waterproof
contact plugs on each end, and run the
wire from the light to the added grey
connector, opening up the two existing
connectors to replace the existing
waterproof contact plugs. That way
youd avoid crimp connections in the
wet underhood area.)
Factory butt connector, used to crimp two

wires together.
Heat-shrink the splice. Cut off or tape

up the other wire coming off the new
connector. It normally serves as the
ground wire, but in the case of the
underhood light, ground is handled
through the hood.
Note the frayed-through hood ground strap

by the nut at the left of the picture. Perhaps
the strap is needed for a good ground for
the light. No idea why it should have worn
itself out at that spot, others usually dont; a
replacement is cheap.
Remove the large plastic screw towards the top of the washer fluid tank, remove the wire connectors on the
pump and the level sensor (careful on the squeeze tabs, theyre often brittle by now, and break off), and set
the tank down, relatively out of the way. You do not need to disconnect the hose or remove the tank
completely.

Wrap the new wire in friction tape and

lay it along its path from the area in
front of the windshield washer tank
toward the centerline of the car. You
can often feed the wire through
existing wire straps without undoing
them, but if needed you can carefully
open them up to add the new wire.
This view is looking down behind the right

low-beam headlight, where the windshield
washer tank normally sits. The fender is to
the right. The wires to the side-marker light
now come up from the center of the
picture, rather than going behind the sheet
metal on the right to the marker, and their
original connector half joins the new
connector half at top right of the picture.
There are a couple of grommets to go

through, for a stock look. One is buried
in front of the radiator. Take off the
trim panel behind the headlights (two
clips turn 90); its much easier to take
out the air filter housing first. It is very
difficult to feed the new wire through
the grommet in place, so pull out the
grommet and slide it up its existing
wire so you can reach it to push the
new wire through.
Lower rubber grommet pulled out a little,

to the left of the right high-beam headlight.
Put back the grommet.
Grommet reinstalled, with the additional

wire going through it (wrapped in the new,
still-dark friction tape).

Then pull out the upper grommet and

fish the new wire up through the hole.
New wire is the one coming through the

hole a tiny bit of blue wire color is just
visible at its end.
Crimp the wire to the rest of the

harness on the hood. Try to put the
joint in an area that gets less wet, at a
minimum under the underhood
insulation mat.
The left wire is the new one of the three

clipped together. My donor harness had a
nylon braided sheath, so I included it, as
visible here.
Secure the wiring anywhere else

needed.
This is a view behind the headlights with

the existing wire strap at top center holding
on the harnesses. I needed to unclip it from
the sheet metal, from the top side, in order
to access it to open it up.

Plug the wire youve laid going up to the hood into the existing connector originally used for the side-marker
light.
Now youre done. Test the light, making sure it goes out when you push in the hood switch. The switch can be
a little finicky, so if the light doesnt come on, wiggle the switch.
Wait til its dark, then enjoy the illumination of your engine bay!
My camera was not even close to fancy

enough to do justice to the underhood
light!

4. Rain-Sensing Wipers
Another convenience
Ever been in stop-and-go traffic with on-again, off-again rain? It can be an
annoying process to constantly adjust the wiper speed, and often not find
just the right wiping rate. The solution? Technology. Hella made a system
Project Profile
that runs the wipers as little or as much as is needed, by detecting the Coolness: &&
actual amount of rain on the windshield. Many newer high-end cars have
Utility:
such a feature installed from the factory.
Difficulty:
Now, you may notice that this technically isnt an official factory retrofit Time:
and so may not deserve a place in this guide. However, theres a Cost: s
mitigating factor: the E34 was supposed to come with a variable
intermittent wiper system. The owners manual describes how the
intermittent interval can be varied from 3 to 20 seconds by the driver, and the factory E34 technical reference
manuals describe a slightly different system that adjusts wiper speed automatically, not just for vehicle moving
/ not moving, but also in several steps proportional to road speed. Since these intended features apparently
did not make it into the U.S. production vehicles, the retrofit described here seems like a suitable substitute,
especially as its from an OEM supplier. If thats a stretch and doesnt convince you, well, skip these pages!
Hella has a kit for the E34 and several other BMW models, and at least one other companys retrofit is
available. The Hella rain sensor is a not-too-obtrusive box, about 2x3, that goes on the windshield, usually
above the rearview mirror; a control module mounts under the dash. Few wiring modifications are needed.
This is the set I bought.
Once installed, when you put the wipers in the former intermittent mode, the Raintronic takes over and
wipes whenever needed. The vehicles regular and fast wipe modes stay the same.
Parts
Hella Raintronic kit used price 1 5WB 007 977-811 ~$50
Wire $5
Wire connectors from donor cars $5
Total cost (used): $60

Einbauanleitungen
Mounting Instructions, Hella 460 844-03/09/00
wiring diagram, Hella 460 844-07/06/99
Installation
Steps are:
1. Mount the sensor

2. Lay the wiring
3. Modify the vehicle wiring
4. Mount the module
Step 1. Mount the sensor
Disconnect the battery. Follow the

Hella instructions closely to mount
the sensor on the windshield.
Sensor is the black box to the upper

right of the mirror in the picture.
Step 2. Lay the wiring

Remove the pedal cover and
deadpedal footwell trims to access
the under-dash area (see chapter
on drivers glove box).
Run the Raintronic wiring harness

behind the headliner from the
sensor to the left side, down behind
the left a-pillar, and into the upper
left footwell area. The a-pillar cover
simply pulls out.
This is the right a-pillar pulled down.

You would actually take out the left side
pillar. The black tabs visible at the
lower left are gripped by the metal clips
inserted in the a-pillar.

Rain-Sensing Wipers E34 Factory Options Guide
The harness can be slipped

behind the headliner by removing
the sunvisor swivel bracket and
the contact bracket. Or if youre
replacing the often-sagging
headliner, you can zip tie the
harness when the headliner is out.
Raintronic (black) and autodimming

mirror (yellow) connectors peeking
out from the headliner.
A view toward the front edge of the

driver door opening. In the middle of
the picture are the wires and black
connector that plug into the Raintronic
control module, routed down the side
of the dash. Wires will of course be
pulled further under the dash for
attachment to the module.
Plug in the connectors to the sensor and the control module.
Step 3. Modify the vehicle wiring

The Hella wiring sheet has three diagrams for the E34. Check for which is yours according to whether your car
has the A1 or A28 module for the wipers, and according to the wire colors. Note that for the A1 (General
Module) installation, the X332/2 ground connection color should be br/or, not br, at least for a 92 535i.

The diagram below shows the approximate locations of the wires, connectors, and devices in the car, and
where to attach the Raintronic connections.
Existing wiper wiring (solid lines) with additions and modifications (dashed lines) needed to install Raintronic system.

The terminals for the control module handle the following functions, according to the instructions:
15 positive power supply (from fuse 24 in my particular car, not from the radio as the
instructions say)
31 ground
31b limit switch in wiper motor
SW1 trip-on signal
A4 Raintronic output signal
The Raintronic control modules terminal blades are arranged in a standard pattern, and the module will plug
into a factory relay holder (e.g., 61 13 1 389 113 or -111) if desired.
Unfortunately the large white

connector carrier at top left of the
drivers footwell only has the
attachment points for wire
connectors, not the ones for relay
holders. (There are adapters on the
car that will allow a wire connector
or fuse holder to be put on the
relay attachment point, but not vice
versa, that Ive found.) Use hook-
and-loop material to stick the relay
holder or the control module to the
side of the white connector carrier,
the SRS module, or a similar spot.
Unfortunately, the nice space shown

here between the two carrier piers
wont work for attaching the module
because the gong sticks up into it when
the pedal cover panel is re-installed.
If using a donor factory relay base, take out the existing contacts by depressing the securing tabs on the
contacts from the top with the special tool or micro-screwdrivers. Then with the contact tabs still depressed,
use other micro-screwdrivers from the underside to depress locking tabs on the relay base, while gently pulling
out the contact. Its a little tricky and would be easier with five hands.
As you make up each wire below, crimp on a new contact (e.g., double leaf spring contacts, 61 13 1 370
691, -692, or -693) and fit the contact in the appropriate relay base position. The module shows the terminal
numbers on its side; match up those terminals with the pattern on the relay base. If using the relay base that
comes with the Raintronic set, crimp on standard push-on wire connectors rather than the factory type.
Wire lengths will depend on where the module is to be located. In my case I needed roughly these lengths:
Terminal Approximate wire length

15 28
31 8
31b 18
SW1 10
A4 16

Wire 1.
Splice a wire from the Raintronic
control module terminal 15 to the vi/sw
.5 mm2 wire already going to X14/9, or
merge and crimp the wires at a new pin
connector in the 9 slot. I did the former.
(On a 92 the existing wire brings
power from fuse 24 to the general
module, X255/10, under the rear
seat.)
Wires spliced together using an aftermarket

twist connector. X14 is the large yellow
connector.
Wire 2.
The Raintronic calls for sharing a
ground wire on the General Module as
the modules ground too Im not sure
why since the General Module is all
the way back under the rear seat.
There are nearer ground points in the
under-dash area that would seem to
serve as well, unless there are some
special electronic considerations at
play. Run a new br wire from the
module terminal 31 to one of the
ground points, crimp on a ring-
terminal connector, and bolt it to the
ground point.
Ground wire attached to relay base.
Some ground points underneath left dash.

Wire 3.
Splice a wire from the Raintronic
module terminal 31b to the
br/gn/ye wire already going to the
wiper limit switch in the wiper
motor. There are no junction
connectors for this wire in the
under-dash area, the wire goes
directly from the General Module to
the wiper motor, so splice in to the
br/gn/ye at a place like this.
The grey rectangular rubber piece in

the center of the picture is the grommet
for the wire harness branch going to the
wiper motor in the plenum at the rear
of the engine bay. The needed
br/gn/ye wire is part of the small
bundle visible in the picture going
through the grommet.
Close-up of the br/gn/ye wire pulled

out for access. (The yellow stripe is in a
spiral around the wire, rather than in
bands.)
New wire spliced onto br/gr/ye wire

using an aftermarket connector.

In theory one could crimp on the extra

wire at a new pin on the wiper
connector, X333/4, out in the
plenum, but that would be tricky since
the pins at the wiper connector are
waterproofed.
A view into the wiper plenum at the rear of

the engine bay. This shot is looking past
where the front fuse box would be, on the
left. The view is toward the right rear of the
car. Visible here is the other side of the
grommet shown in the previous picture.
The wire bundle goes through the
accordion section of the grommet to X333
at the top of the picture.
Wire 4.
Disconnect the two halves of
connector X295.
Connector X295 (8-pin, black) is the one

sandwiched between the black and white
connectors in this picture of the under-dash
area.
Remove and tape off the bk/bu wire

contact coming to X295/4 from the
rear of the car to the forward half (as
the connector sits in the car) of the
connector. (As with contact
removals/insertions from most of the
larger connectors, slide the inner
portion sideways past the locking tabs,
then use the special contact-removal
tool to free and push out the contact.)
Then insert a contact on the new wire
from the Raintronic module terminal
SW1 into the vacant pin 4 slot.
New pin ready to go into X295. The inner
part of X295, which locks in the pins, has
been taken out in this case, but its better
just to slide it slightly sideways past the tabs
that you see where the wires go in.

Wire 5.
Splice or merge the Raintronic
terminal A4 wire to the bk/br wire
already going from X295/2 to the
wiper stalk. Keep the original wire
functional, dont take its connectors
out or cut it.
I used a single-pin connector and an

aftermarket twist connector. No need to
use the aftermarket connector, I did it
for other reasons.
Step 4. Mount the module

Attach the module using hook-and-
loop material or other methods.
Raintronic control module attached to

rear of airbag module (at upper left of
the picture).
There, youre done. Fire up the car, spray some water on the windshield with a garden hose, and test the
system. Look forward to some low-hassle driving in light rain!


5. Automatic Air Recirculating Control
Breathe easy
This is another system that does not seem to have been available on U.S.
E34s, though it apparently was on E32s and 8-series coups. The system
uses a pollutant sensor mounted at the front of the engine bay to Project Profile
automatically close the vents that let in outside air, when pollutants are Coolness: &&&
detected.
Utility:
The system could be set to automatically recirculate air (LED next to the Difficulty:
A in the circle on the left illuminated), or set to manually recirculate air Time:
(LED next to the circle on the right illuminated), or set to off, that is, fresh Cost: ss
air vents open (no LEDs illuminated).
Parts
Control module 1 61 35 1 390 352
Bracket 1 61 31 1 389 004
a
Wire harness for IHKA (automatic a/c), IHKR 3, up to 9/91 1 61 12 1 390 207
a
for IHKA (automatic a/c), IHKR 3, 9/91 onwards 61 12 8 359 140
for IHKR 2; up to 9/91 61 12 8 351 211
for IHKR 2; 9/91 onwards 61 12 1 359 141
Cable holder clips for harness in wheel well 5 64 11 1 364 073
Sensor early type 1 64 11 1 390 325 $228
? 64 11 6 924 755
late type 64 11 8 391 470
? 64 11 6 917 001 $78
Bracket for sensor bracket 1 64 11 8 390 598
hex bolt with washer M5x12-Z1 07 11 9 915 002
flat washer 5.3 07 11 9 936 416
Touring bracket 64 11 8 390 062
adapter for Touring bracket 64 11 8 362 939
Control unit for the main a/c, heat, and fan control module 1 64 11 8 351 097
heater control
Switch for heated IHKR 2 and 3 1 61 31 1 391 767 $84
rear window, airflow, IHKR 1 61 31 8 351 299
and air conditioning
Total cost: used price ~$150
a
Other sources say that IHKR version 3 uses the same sensor as IHKR 2, which seems to correspond better with the switch listing, and that IHKR (i.e., version 1) uses this
sensor, which is also for IHKA.
Youll need a 40mm hole saw and a pilot bit and mandrel (the piece that holds the bit to the saw and the
saw to the drill) if theyre not part of the hole saw.
Einbauanleitungen
None
Installation
Step 1. Take off interior trim
Remove the pedal cover (the black trim above the drivers foot pedals on the underside of the dash); the trim
to the lower left of the steering column; and the deadpedal / speaker panel. See the chapter on the drivers
glove box for details.
Step 2. Mount control module
The control module goes in the cavity on the left of the footwell, which also holds a speaker, the cruise control
module, and various wire harnesses.

The bracket holding the module
attaches to the pre-cut holes just
below the opening unless you
have a cruise control module,
which gets in the way.
The holes for the two bracket bolts are

visible in the sheetmetal at the bottom
of the picture, one on either side of the
black rectangular receptacle for the
deadpedal clip.
If you have cruise, it seems that the

cruise control module bracket is
also designed to hold the AUC
module. One side of the AUC
module bracket slips into a slot in
the cruise bracket behind the cruise
module, and the other side needs a
plastic nut on a bracket stud.
Cruise control module below, AUC

module above. Bracket is held in
placeby a single plastic nut at its top,
which also serves as a zip-tie holder.
Step 3. Install wiring harness

Take off the front left wheel and
support the car safely. Then remove
the wheel-well liner. The liner is
held on by six well-rusted hex-head
bolts, which fortunately screw into
plastic nuts in the sheetmetal, so the
bolts arent rusted to anything.
Black plastic liner is the darker area at

right. Three of the rusty bolts are just
visible in this shot.

Automatic Air-Recirculating Control E34 Factory Options Guide
Once you take off the liner, you

may see a bunch of decayed plant
matter etc. in the nice fender rust
trap. While youre here, clean it out
and do the right side of the car
when youre done with this whole
installation!
Special E34 feature: a composter.
Now do a test punchmark from the

wheel well side, in the center of
where the harness hole should be
cut. Then from the footwell side pull
back the foam covering at the front
of the cavity and feel for the
punchmark. Check that the
forthcoming hole will be in a good
place, i.e., doesnt hit the sides of
the cavity and is at a good height,
ideally near where the zig-zag cut in
the cavity foam is.
The beginning of the hole-saw cut

shown here illustrates roughly where to
put the test punchmark described
above.
Prevent your hole saw from doing

damage to the wires etc. in the
cavity, for example by putting a
piece of scrap metal in the way.
Wear eye protection. Apologize to
you car, and carefully cut the hole
with your 40mm hole saw,
preferably catching metal shavings
with masking tape. Use a hole saw
with a pilot bit. Apply pressure
gently at first, and try to go in
straight. The pilot bit can easily
grab on the sheetmetal one of
mine did, and snapped. When
done, de-burr the hole well, then
apply several coats of zinc paint.
Hole is now cut. Red shape to the left of
the picture is a piece of metal to protect
the wires from the hole saw.

Install the large harness grommet

into the hole.
Now secure the harness around the

top of the wheel well using the six
clips in the pre-cut holes on the
sheetmetal.
Grommet inserted in grey zinc-painted

hole; you can also see the first of the
harness-holding clips (bright green)
inserted in the sheetmetal at top right.
Exactly where the harness was

intended to run into the engine bay
was not clear. You can go low and
under all the sheetmetal, or high,
past the side-marker light area. The
high route would seem normal, but
there was a surprising amount of
slack in the harness when using that
route.
If you go high, run the harness forward

in the area at the top of this picture,
where the grey connector is (thats the
side marker connector, not in its normal
place). There should be another hole to
put another harness-holding clip in.
However you choose to go, run the

harness up to the sensor location,
clipping it into the existing harness
holders attached to the underside of
the engine bay front top shelf. The
plastic rear panel for the headlights
has a pre-marked notch to cut out
for the harness to pass through, in
its top right corner.
The harness here is under the small
coolant hose, visible at center running
through the notch in the edge of the
headlight rear panel. The black post
towards the top left of the picture is the
stud of one of the two harness-holding
clips. To open and reclose the strap, its
usually easiest to take out the clip, in
this case by squeezing together all of
the sides of the stud and pushing it out
the hole. Old straps are very fragile.

Step 4. Attach sensor
Bolt the AUC sensor to the tab on
the radiator shroud ever wonder
what went there?!
Plug in the sensor wire connector

by lining it up and then sliding the
lock to its side, which will pull the
connector firmly into place on the
electrical pins.
Step 5. Replace control panel

Next, replace the heater and a/c
control panel and its attached
electronics. The best way is to
remove the radio for access to the
back of the switch on the left, then
push out the switch from the rear.
Alternatively (if someone has
trashed your radio bolts by not
using the correct pentagonal
removal tool), you can pry the
switch out from the front with
microscrewdrivers, at some risk to
the finish of the panel. Once the
switch is out, feel for a small spring-
loaded latch on the left side of the
opening, half way up. Push it left at
the same time as youre pulling out
the left side of the panel.
Disconnect the switch connector, if

not already done, then the three
Bowden cables. Slide the cable
knobs to the right, squeeze the tabs
together (careful, the bars on the
panel that hold the tabs are fragile),
and pivot the cables enough to
release them from their posts. Now
you can rotate the panel further,
and take off the two wire
connectors. On the left one, you
depress a small locking tab, then
rotate the locking bar through 90.
The rightmost one has a sliding lock
similar to the radio connector:
gently lever the left side of the lock
to the left with a screwdriver. As
you lever, it should pull the
connector up.
My car, happily, was pre-wired for

AUC. The connector was zip tied to
the left of the large underdash
support bar. I just left it in place, but
you could take it out of the zip-tie
and secure it to a free spot on one
of the other connectors on the main
white connector carrier nearby. Run
the small branch of the harness up
from the footwell cavity, zip tie it as
appropriate, and connect the
connectors together.
If youre not prewired, youll need

to run wires to the appropriate pins
on the back of the hearter and a/c
control panel, per the wiring
diagrams. Install the new control
panel and new switch on the left.
If not already done, connect the

AUC control module connector:
pull up the black slide lock on the
middle of the connector, plug in the
connector, then slide down the
lock.
This shot shows the cruise control and

AUC modules in place, and the AUC
wiring harness coming through the zig-
zag slit in the cavity foam. Part of the
black grommet in the hole leading to
the wheel well is just visible behind the
slit.
Test what you can (e.g., interior illumination lights on control panel light up, a/c switch works), then put
everything back together.
The final step probably requires a visit to a shop with the MoDIC, GT1, or similar diagnostic/programming
device, in order to tell the climate control module that the AUC feature is now installed, unless you have a
pretty fancy laptop diagnostic/programming program. Until the reprogramming is done, the AUC button
should manually activate recirculation, but not start the automatic recirculation feature.

Alright, thats it! Now, when driving along with the controls in auto mode, you should, when stuck behind that
smoke-spewing industrial truck, be able to hear your vents closing, without you lifting a finger ....


6. Autodimming Rearview Mirror
Pre-wired, again
An inside rearview mirror that automatically dims at night is available,
though was rare or nonexistent on U.S. E34s. The U.S. E32 sometimes
had it. There were several versions. Wiring is usually already available in Project Profile
the cars, but an EBA gives wiring instructions if it is not. Some may feel
that this is an unneeded gizmo, just something else that can break but
Coolness: &&
this guide is a celebration of engineering and technology, some of it Utility:
unessential, much of it useful, all of it clever. This is for love, not efficiency! Difficulty:
Time:
There were several different part numbers for the mirrors, probably with Cost: s
different connectors, and later models used a mirror without the slide
control of the earlier ones. Identification is made difficult because the
normal BMW part number is apparently not on some of the mirrors.
Parts
Interior rearview up to 9/92 1 51 16 1 948 156 $287.93
mirror with auto dip
Interior rearview 9/909/92 (old number) 1 51 16 8 141 800
Interior rearview 9/909/92 (new number) 1 51 16 8 165 802 $1,062.99
Interior mirror 9/92, (old) 1 51 16 8 141 176
electrochromic
Interior mirror 9/92, (old) in conj. w/ covers, 51 16 8 251 200 1 51 16 9 134 461
electrochromic
Interior mirror 9/92, (new) in conj. w/ covers, 51 16 8 251 200 1 51 16 8 238 066
electrochromic
Interior rearview 9/921/94, for vehicles with infrared remote control 1 51 16 8 165 802 $1,062.99
Total cost: used price ~$80
Einbauanleitungen
Automatic Dipping Rear-View Mirror, 2/91, 01 29 9 782 113
Interior Rearview Mirror with Automatic Dipping Function, 11/92, 01 29 9 786 337
Description
The early autodimming mirror, with slide

control at the bottom.

Three-pin connector on a 92. Note the

irregular shape, which does not mate
with all mirror connectors.
Wire connector on a mirror. Note that

this shape, including the tab, does not
mate with the 92 connector on the car.
For my application, I needed to cut the
tab on the right side off.
This mystery connector was attached, in

my case, to the connector on the mirror
shown above, but appeared to be
missing some internal connector pins if it
was indeed the car-side connector. I did
not need it for my installation, instead
trimming the mirror connector that fitted
inside it to fit directly into the yellow car
connector.

Autodimming Rearview Mirror E34 Factory Options Guide
Later cars (E32, E36 in Europe) used a different autodimming mirror with a 10-pin connector. The mirror
does not have the slide at the bottom, so is less bulky. It is identifiable by a sensor dot at the top center of the
mirror glass. This mirror can also be fitted, though the wires on the vehicle side will need to be refitted into the
appropriate slots on the vehicle-side connector from the donor car.
Installation
You may need to trim tabs to make the connectors fit, and possibly reorder the wires to match them up
correctly. In my case, the match-up was as follows, with the original pin locations shown:
car-side mirror-side
connector connector
ground brown/orange 1 white 2
reverse signal blue/yellow 2 grey 3
power green/black 3 black 1
If you need to reorder the pins,

open up a plastic connector. This
one on the mirror slid off to one
side.
Depress the catch on the wire pin

or socket, so that it can slide out
(you might need to depress, pull,
depress, and pull again to get past
two catch points).
Reinsert the wires in the

appropriate slots.

Twist the existing mirror to one side

about 60 to release it. Do it gently.
Once I accidentally took the
mounting plate and a divot of
windshield glass off instead of the
mirror.
Remove the sunroof switch panel

several tabs at the sides and rear.
Look for the tied-back harness in a
plastic sheath with a three-pin,
depending on the year, connector
and free it.
Mirror wiring (yellow connector) tied

back behind sunroof switch panel.
Take out the interior light panel just ahead of the sunroof switch panel, and put your hand into that space in
order to push the harness and connector over the front lip of the headliner, down towards the mirror.
Pop off the trim cover on the stalk of the autodimming mirror at the round end, and connect the connectors.
Reattach the trim, and install the mirror.
Test using the instructions in the EBA to make sure the wire connections are correct. You can test during the
day by covering the light sensor in a hole on the backside of the mirror (toward the windshield), and shining a
flashlight on the sensor on the front of the mirror.

Autodimming Rearview Mirror E34 Factory Options Guide
The completed installation.
Installed mirror. The wires are well

hidden.
Now enjoy your night-time driving without the glare!


7. Drivers Glove Box
A European treat
This nifty little cubby hole was only available on European models. U.S.
models put in an undoubtedly valuable anti-submarining knee bolster. For Project Profile
the stock installation, the knee bolster has to come out, though
conceivably with some metal cutting and work one could install the glove
Coolness: &&&
box in and through the bolster itself. Using the most obvious method to do Utility:
that, the glove box would still not be flush-mounted the way it is with the Difficulty:
stock installation. So take your choice, your knees, or a neat cubby .... Time:
Cost: ssss
Parts
Glove box, drivers light silver gray 1 51 45 8 138 174 $92
side
Trim panel, lower left light silver gray 2 51 45 8 138 197 $70
Fillister head self for attaching glove box to trim panel 4 51 43 1 874 616 <$1
tapping screw
Body nut speed nuts for above screws 4 07 12 9 925 710 <$1
Body nut speed nuts for attaching pedal cover to trim panels; might 4 07 12 9 901 634 <$1
be needed because old ones are less thick
Wooden strip left side; for no-airbag models, but seems to work with 1 51 45 8 155 851 ~$75
airbag; walnut
Wooden strip right side; for no-airbag models, but seems to work with 1 51 45 8 155 855 ~$75
airbag; walnut
Grommet a plastic and metal piece to grip the left-side attaching pin of 1? 51 45 1 938 904 <$1
the left panels wood trim, and the single pin on the right
panels wood trim
Trim panel lower left actually is lower right in relation to the steering wheel the 1 51 45 8 138 213 ~$37
lower left meaning here is in relation to the center console;
light silver gray
Trim panel, foot normally this number is Euro-only, but was available on 1 51 45 1 978 935 ~$46
controls some very early U.S. cars, pre-airbag
Total cost (new): ~$470
Einbauanleitung
None
Description
The glovebox just clears a knee-protector attaching flange (which was not put on European cars) and the dash
brace, giving it a rather odd shape inside. It does not conflict with the airbag module. The knee protector
needs to be removed unless you want an inordinate amount of work; dont throw it out if you might ever want
to backtrack.

View looking down past a slightly-pulled

out dash trim. The back of the drivers
glove box is the black shape at the bottom
right of the picture. Knee-protector flange
has the large speed nuts on it. Dash brace
is the large round bar with the zip-ties.
Interior of glove box.
Replacement trim panels are needed

for lower dash areas left and right of
the steering wheel, and also a new foot
pedal cover is needed. Although the
U.S. and European versions of the
latter are similar, they are not
interchangeable since the profiles of
the trim panels are different, and they
meet the pedal cover panel at
somewhat different angles and
locations.
Pedal cover for drivers glove box is to the

left. Note the angle bend in the panel.

Drivers Glove Box E34 Factory Options Guide
U.S. cars have a single trim panel that

covers both sides of the steering wheel,
but the European cars have two (in
some early cases the center console
piece simply extends further to the left
over the right panel area), leaving the
area underneath the steering column
somewhat uncovered. The European
cars had a longer lowersteering
column trim piece that covered the
gap.
The different trim panels.
Missing area of trim isnt a bad visual gap

because its well underneath the steering
wheel.
The steering column trim for drivers

glove box cars extends down into the
gap between the side trims. At least
one such column trim did not fit on the
steering column of my later car,
however. Here are the different lower
trims:
Lower trim that normally goes with drivers

side glove box is on left; lower trim that
came with my U.S., airbag, single-piece
steering-column trim car is on right.

Since the airbag came with an

attendant knee-protector, which was
incompatible with the drivers glove
box, there may well not be a steering-
column trim set that fits on an airbag
wheel/column, yet is of the longer
length.
The trims from the inside: attachment

points, internal shape, and slip-ring area
are all quite different.
Where the new left trim panel meets

the left side of the dash wasnt
absolutely perfect on my installation,
probably because the European dash
piece is different. The trim plastic was
not neat along the join, but the door is
normally closed over that area, and it
wasnt particularly noticeable in the
first place.
Note left side trim screw (under cap).
Oddly, the wood trims on the

European and non-airbag panels are
very slightly wider than the U.S. ones
and have very slightly different shapes
(mine were marked ECE, for
Economic Community of Europe, on
the back).
Left-side wood trim, glove box version at

the top. Note the different shapes at each
end. Nice illustration of the difference
between the walnut and bubinga woods.

Right-side wood trim, glove box version

at the top. Its hard to see in the photo,
but the glove box piece has a warped
shape, unlike the original. The lower
piece looks bigger only because its
closer to the camera; the very slight
difference in the angle on the left of
each piece is real, however.
Installation
Once all the pieces are obtained, its a fairly straightforward matter of unscrewing everything and screwing it
back together. Steps are as follows:
1. Remove lower trims

2. Remove upper trims
3. Attach glove box to panel
4. Prepare pedal cover
5. Install glove box panel and other trim
Step 1. Remove lower trims

Remove the carpeting on the left
side of the center console one
screw half way up, towards the
back.
Screw goes in the brass-colored speed

nut visible above the (dismounted)
console trim.

Turn the two plastic pins at the

back of the pedal cover a quarter
turn.
(Yes, you noticed this is actually the

replacement pedal cover.)
Unscrew the screw at lower left of

the pedal cover, disconnect the
gong, and remove the cover.
Note, pedal cover, deadpedal trim

panel, and hood release are already
removed in this picture.
The gong.

Step 2. Remove upper trims
Gently lever out the wood trim on
the left side of the steering wheel
lever the trims left side toward the
rear of the car, then unhook the
right side by pulling the trim to the
left and back. Lever out the wood
trim on the right side theres no
hook, its held in by one pin,
toward the left side. Unscrew the
three screws across the top front of
the panel, and the one at the left
near the door jamb, after taking off
its trim cap. (Also see below for
some more pictures, at
reinstallation.)
Screwhole for trim panel, hard to see

but in the center of the picture.
Second screwhole, near steering

column trim.
Remove small plastic trim-colored cap

at side of trim, and remove screw that
goes into this speednut.

Unscrew the screws on the center

console and remove the right trim
panel. Note which screws go where on
the center console.
Unbolt the knee protector, two bolts a

side.
Left-side bolts for knee protector go into

the speednuts on the black flange at the left
of the photo. Similar on right side.
Step 3. Attach glove box to

panel
Attach the glove box to the left side
trim panel using the four screws and
speed nuts. Adjusting the boxs
position up and down will determine
how far the door opens. Slide on two
speed nuts over the bottom holes, and
push in the white plastic grommet from
the front (upper right of the panel
back, in this picture).
Step 4. Prepare pedal cover

The pedal cover may need cutting, for
example for the clutch pedal groove,
the gong, and one of the round push-
in plastic clips that help hold on the a/c
air duct. I used a sabre saw and sharp
knife to make the various cuts. The
cover is marked along the appropriate
cut lines. Markings for the gong on the
new panel were not in the same place
as on the old panel for me. Although
location is inexact, do cut the length of
the opening for the gong cover exactly,
according to the spacing of the clips
that hold it in place, since the gripping
edges of the clips holding the cover in
place are very narrow.
At this point, gong hole is cut, extra clip hole is drilled, but clutch pedal groove is not yet cut. Markings may just be visible
next to the left vent grill and parallel to the brake pedal groove.

If needed, transfer the gong cover,
air duct, and duct grill from the old
panel.
Step 5. Install glove box

panel and other trim
Screw the left trim panel to the
dash two screws at top, one at
side with screw cap.
Screw on the right-side trim one

screw at top left, two screws on
center console.

Push in the two wood trim pieces
and the right-side black trim strip
on the console.
Screw the pedal cover to the

bracket at lower left, and to the
brackets at the front of the footwell.
Left-most screw on pedal cover goes to

bracket. Screws along the top go to trim
panel.
Note the console trim carpet screw at

right.

Screw the pedal cover to the two

trim panels three screws along the
top of the cover.
Screw on the console left-side trim

carpet, resting the pedal covers
right-side hook on the trim.
New right side trim is at the top right of

the picture: pedal cover is being
screwed to a speed nut on the black tab
coming down from the bottom of the
trim. See earlier picture for two screws
on left side.
Finished; enjoy deciding what things to put in the neat little cubby! It works well for sunglasses.


8. Steering Wheels and Column
Add a little individuality
The standard U.S. wheel unfortunately does not have a separate colored
roundel at its center (except for 1995 models), merely a crude relief Project Profile
version molded into the plastic. A colored roundel would be nice, as
would wood, and there are several nice wooden optional wheels available. Coolness: &&&
Alas only one puts together a colored roundel, wood rim, and an airbag, Utility:
until the final year of production, which introduced a new slip ring and Difficulty:
connectors. One can retrofit the later wheel and its slip ring by splicing the
few relevant airbag and horn wires but since this is a vital safety item, do Time:
so at your own risk. Cost: ss+
Later cars had the option of electric adjustment of the steering wheel for reach (i.e., along the axis of the
steering column, as opposed to tilt), which would be tied in to the memory system when present. The
powered steering column feature was operated with a dedicated lever on the left side of the column, below the
turn signal lever. Retrofitting electric adjustment can be done by installing a late steering column and its
bracket, which is not as difficult as might be imagined.
Parts
Name Details Part no. Price
A. Standard, 4-spoke 7/909/93 32 34 1 159 786
airbag 9/934/94 32 34 1 162 806
M Technic with enlarged grips and colored stitching 32 34 2 276 935
two-tone 32 34 2 276 937
B. Sport II, 3-spoke, old style rim 32 34 9 402 812
airbag 32 34 1 161 008
mounting parts set (bolts, springs, airbag light cover) 32 34 9 066 892 $19
retrofit kit 32 34 9 402 514
steering column 32 31 9 402 535 $257
without airbag 32 33 1 160 675
no airbag; Woodline 82 21 9 401 672
Blackline 82 21 9 401 673
d
with integral airbag leather 32 34 1 161 982 $474
system used: $100
a
C. New standard, 4-spoke airbag; colored roundel 5/94; leather 32 34 1 162 110 $441
c
... plastic 32 34 1 091 872 $446
... wood 82 21 9 404 484 $725
b
D. Sport II/III, 3-spoke, new leather 32 34 1 162 097 $474
style walnut 82 21 9 404 837
mahogany 82 21 9 404 486
Steering column 1995; bracket and wiring included; used price $200
Total (used) $300500
a
Airbag $950; slip ring $160.
b
Airbag $605; slip ring $160.
c
Airbag up to 5/94 listed (32 34 1 093 305) and different one listed still available (32 34 1 094 445).
d
Electronic control (inside wheel) $290; slip ring $80.
Einbauanleitung
(A) Sports steering wheel, BMW M Technic (new version), 2/89, 01 29 9 782 140
(B) Conversion of the standard steering wheel Airbag I to sports steering wheel Airbag II, 2/94,
01 29 9 788 357
(B) BMW Woodline and Blackline Sports Steering Wheels, 6/92, 01 29 9 786 948
(B) Sports Steering Wheel with Airbag II, 4/94, 01 29 9 788 348
(D) Conversion of the standard steering wheel (4-spoke) to sport wheel (3 spoke) (E34 after 5/94), 1/95,
01 29 9 789 119

Description
Column mounting changed around 9/90: earlier wheels used a nut to attach the wheel, and the steering
column spline was smaller; later wheels used a bolt for the wheel, and the spline was larger. Note that the bolts
are supposed to be one-time use, and that some wheels use different contact slip rings. Refer to the EBA for
some useful information on selected swaps.
A. This is the standard rim up to 95

(there were actually a few very early
U.S. 89s that didnt have this wheel,
nor did they have an airbag at all).
There was an exceptionally rare version
of this wheel with a nice wood rim, and
the wheel was also available in versions
with colored leather rims, plus there
was an M-version with thicker-rim palm
grips in the 2 and 10 oclock positions.
B. Pictured is the attractive wheel with

integral airbag system that was meant
for cars without a vehicle airbag system.
The airbag control system is contained
within the wheel rather than having
sensors and module elsewhere in the
car. Note the red light panel towards
the bottom, in the vertical spoke, which
says AIR BAG (it goes out after start-
up). This installation requires a
different, earlier steering column, which
is covered in the EBA; the column
switch is not too hard. The wheel
design was more commonly available
with a leather rather than wood rim,
with or without airbag. It was also
available in a pair of versions (Blackline
and Woodline) that were very similar
but had a bolt headtheme center
hub and no airbag.

Steering Wheels and Column E34 Factory Options Guide
C. This is the 1995 (5/94+) new

standard design with a nice colored
roundel (shown in an E36 here). Notice
that the accent ridges line up along the
center of the spokes, as opposed to the
earlier design where the ridge along the
top of the airbag lined up with the
bottom of the upper spokes. The wheel
also came in some beautiful wood-rim
versions.
D. Here is the 1995 3-spoke design, also

found on some M3s. It too came in a
rare wood-rim version. It fits on the 95
models; earlier models need modification
of wiring. Note that some later wheels
(on various 99+ models) look just like
this but use an incompatible airbag, with
a dual-stage system. The connector on
the back of the later units is a yellow 4-
pin type, rather than the earlier orange
2-pin type.
Installation
Any changes to the steering column, wheel, and airbag system could potentially interfere with their proper
safety operation, so make any modifications at your own risk. Its best to have a qualified shop do the work.
Always disconnect the battery before doing anything in the steering wheel area so your airbag is less likely to
go off inadvertently. Relatedly, let residual electricity dissipate for half an hour after disconnecting the battery,
before taking off the airbag or steering wheel or disconnecting the instrument cluster. If you dont, you might
turn on your supplemental restraint system warning light in the instrument cluster, which is very difficult to turn
off for these years of vehicle without the dealer-only diagnostic system (the relatively inexpensive aftermarket
maintenance-light-reset gizmos usually dont work for the early years).
If youre doing only the wheel, or the power column, adjust the following procedures as appropriate.

Step 1. Obtain donor column

Find a donor car with the late, powered steering column. Note: get one that has a key, for purposes of
removing the ignition lock (and not having the wheel lock in place while youre installing). Move the wheel all
the way out from the dash if theres a battery in the donor car. Disconnect the battery.
Take off the airbag two T30

captive bolts at the back of the
wheel.
Standard socket fits in the hole with

some difficulty, so a thin Torx
screwdriver of the appropriate size is
recommended. Theres also not a lot of
clearance, so bring a short one if you
can.
Disconnect the airbag and horn

connectors.
Horn connector is the one under a red

plastic cover at top center of picture.
Take off the steering wheel by removing the bolt.
Remove two trim panels one that constitutes the lower part of the dash and the other in the footwell called
the pedal cover (see chapter on drivers glove box).
Unclip the lower black trim on the steering column usually one expanding screw-clip underneath, then it just
pulls off the top black trim; it attaches to the top trim tightly.

Follow the wire harnesses from the

steering column and disconnect
them from their various nearby
connectors.
The yellow connector is for the power

telescoping switch. Leave it connected
since it only goes to the relays on the
steering column.
The wires for the steering column

adjustment sometimes go to the
pictured white connector holder on
the firewall. The holder was not
present on my 92, but the studs for
it were (the connector was attached
to a different holder). If not
prewired, you can take the wires
from this connector all the way to
the rear relay holder where they go
through a dedicated fuse, F41. Or,
just tap into an underdash wire.
At bottom right of the picture is the
pedal bracket, referred to later, with its
four mounting studs in a square
pattern. The top left stud still has its
partly-hidden nut on. At the very
bottom of the picture, you can see the
empty bolt hole for the single pedal
bracket bolt.
The airbag connector is usually

orange; depending on how you
plan to wire it up, take both sides
of the connector and quite a bit of
the wire coming out to the vehicle.

Now tackle the difficult shear bolt
the bolt whose hexagon head
deliberately twists off during
installation so that it cannot easily
be removed. The bolt is located at
the back of the steering column
bracket, above the pedals. You can
try to get it out by hammering a
chisel at the conical head with
enough of an angle to turn the bolt.
I found this didnt work despite
some very hard hammering. There
is not much room to maneuver.
Better is to cut a screwdriver slot in
the conical head with a hand
hacksaw at a slow pace or,
preferably, with a powered tool.
View is looking up, front of car to right.
Since I did not have power at the

yard and was having difficulty
hacksawing, I used another
method: I simply undid the pedal
bracket, to which the steering
column bracket is attached, and
removed them together (see earlier
picture for the five nuts and bolts);
also remove the clip holding on the
brake pushrod clevis pin, and
release the accelerator. Back home,
it took but a few moments to cut a
slot with a Dremel tool, and loosen
the bolt, turning very hard with a
large screwdriver.
Picture shows pedal bracket, steering
column (at right), old shear bolt with
washer and spacer, new bolt with head
still on, and a Dremel cutting tool.
Take off the pair of bolts toward the

front of the steering column
bracket.
Relevant bolt in upper right of picture is

marked with yellow paint. Note the
steering-column-adjusting motor
(without a memory potentiometer on
the end) in the center of the picture.

If youre removing the pedal
bracket too, pull down the steering
column slightly and access two
remaining bolts.
In this picture, a socket wrench is lying

on the steering column and its socket is
just visible pointing up at the left of the
two bolts.
If the donor is an automatic, cut the

shift interlock cable that is screwed
in near the ignition lock.
Now remove the steering column,

possibly with the pedal bracket too.
I found the column came right
apart at the large taper nut inside
the footwell. (Note that many have
found that tightening the nut
slightly not too much can
remove looseness in the steering.)
Nut is at the bottom center of the

picture; cable is to right. Nut did not
need loosening in my case. Note also,
to the immediate left of the steering
column shaft, the clip holding on the
brake pedal pushrods clevis pin.
Technically, the EBA takes the

column apart at the universal joint
in the engine bay between the
firewall and the steering rack, but
the connection there was very tight
and I found that method
unnecessary. But to release the
joint, undo the clamp bolt, and
perhaps try to pry open the clamp a
bit if needed to free up the splines.
Now that you have your goodies,

return to base! Take a key that goes
with the steering column, and
maybe the wheel including slipring,
and airbag.
View is looking straight down, near the

brake cylinder, at the universal joint in
the engine bay (socket is on the joint).

Step 2. Remove existing column

Take the non-powered column out of your car, following the procedure for the donor car. Disconnect the
battery for half an hour before taking off the airbag or steering wheel or you might set your supplemental
restraint system warning light on. Turn the steering wheel so it is centered, for purposes of installing the new
one straight.
Because of the difficulty in getting

good angles with the rotary cutting
tool, I couldnt get a clean
screwdriver slot cut into the shear
bolt head and the screwdriver kept
sliping out. Try adding a 90
adapter to the rotary tool and come
up from below, holding the tool
body vertically, below the bolt. But
if cutting a slot doesnt work, I
recommend cutting two parallel
edges on the shear nut that you can
grip with a pair of pliers. Then, for
access, undo the four nuts holding
on the rubber disk on the steering
column shaft. Grip hard and turn
forcefully with a large pair of pliers.
Visible bolts held on the rubber disk.
The arm in the picture, and its pair

on the other side, also attach the
non-power steering column. Their
long pin bolt presented a problem:
the a/c stepper moter firmly blocked
its egress. No visible way to remove
the motor, so the solution was to
pull the sleeve that the bolt goes
through and that is inside the pedal
bracket, as far to the left as
possible, moving insulation padding
at the left out of the way. Then, and
only then, the bolt could be angled
out just far enough to clear the
stepper motor to the right.
Step 3. Transfer slip ring, lock, airbag connector, special stalks, keyhole trim
If youre installing a new wheel, transfer the slip ring from the donor column to the new wheel.

Take off the donor airbag if any,

remove the wheel from the column,
then undo three T10 Torx screws
on the back of the wheel, and
another one holding on a blue wire
on the front of the wheel.
Transfer the lock cylinder from the old to the new column. Freeing the lock cylinders can be very fiddly and
frustrating, but the following process worked for me. When a pin is inserted correctly in the tiny hole in the ring
around the key slot, with the key in the lock, it depresses a tab on the outside of the lock cylinder that normally
rests in a groove in the cylinder housing, allowing the cylinder to slide out. So:
1. Unfold the outside leg of a large paper clip (factory specifies a 1.2mm width wire) so its at a 90 angle to
the rest of the clip. Grind a 45 bevel on the outside edge of the end of the clip.
2. Before turning the key fully to the accessory position (45, not 60), insert the end of the clip in the small
hole next to the key slot, with the bevel at top of hole and the rest of the clip pointed down (when the column
is still in the car). While putting light pressure on the clip, turn the key until the clip clearly slips further in than
the or so it could go before. That should accord with the accessory position for the key, roughly.
3. Now push in the clip while rotating the clip 90 up (i.e., counterclockwise), then, importantly, crank it back
down and up again two or more times. Another cylinder I had only worked when I rotated the clip all the way
around a few times. Im guessing the bevel allowed some kind of screw action to force the pin in with the
rotation. Keep pulling out lightly on the key to pull out the cylinder, once the lock tab is depressed.
The airbag connectors were

different between my 92 and the
95. Proceed at your own risk since
this is an important safety item, but
I took the old wheel-side connector
and attached it on the end of the
new vehicle-side connector wires. I
slipped the wire contacts out of the
existing connector using the special
contact-removal tool, crimped new
contacts on the end of the donor
connector wires, and inserted the
newly-crimped contacts into the
existing connector.
The small copper piece to the right is a

bridge between the two wires that
came out of the old connector and is
not needed in this application, but
could be left in.

Transfer any special column switches (e.g., the wiper switch with intensive wash you might have installed
following the chapter in this guide) to the new column. Zip tie the harnesses along the wire channel.
If youre putting in a 95 column, the lower black plastic column trim will have a notch next to the keyhole trim
for the Driveaway Protection System (EWS) wiring, so you may want to use your original column trims if they
fit and you dont have EWS. Mine fit, after I cut out the pre-marked slot for the column-adjusting stalk. Get the
circular trim that goes around the key hole from the old car the one for the EWS wont snap on to the old
key cylinder and put it on with the column trims.
Step. 4 Install new column

Install the new column, preferably using a normal M8 bolt rather than a shear bolt. You never want to have to
wrestle with a shear bolt there again. If the wheel is already on, line it up straight, with the wheels straight too.
Connect the wire connectors. When

I began to examine how to put the
connector holder from the donor
car on, I spotted the same kind of
connector already nearby, unused.
Lo and behold, my car was pre-
wired for the power steering
column adjusting! I was surprised
because I believe no U.S. E34s
came with it until the 1995 model
year.
Prewired connector for the power

adjustment is the white 4-pin connector
at the bottom of the pier on the holder.
Four other connectors for the steering
column are also visible (fifth connector,
for the airbag, is on the steering column
itself).
If youre not pre-wired, attach the holder from the donor car or just use a free connector docking station. For
the power wire of the telescoping column, either lay the wire from the donor car all the way back through F41
on the rear relay holder and splice to a nearby hot, red wire in the bundle back there, or splice into an
appropriate underdash wire like the similar-color one going to the driver power seat motors. (The latter might
not be so good if youre applying memory to the column and the memory system activates the column
adjustment motor and seat adjustment motors simultaneously.) Attach the ground wire ring terminal to the
ground post nearby on the underside of the dash.
If youre installing a memory version of the column adjustment, add the voltage regulator / potentiometer on
the end of the motor if necessary, and run wiring or connect to, as necessary, the substituting sport seat thigh-
support port on the memory control module under the drivers seat (see memory chapter).
If youre putting on a new wheel, or transfering your old one, you can mount it now. Use a new bolt with the
specified torque. Connect the wires on the back of the airbag, and bolt it on.
Put back the trims on the steering column, and the dash and pedal trims.
Now test. Reconnect the battery while staying well clear of the airbag. Turn on the ignition, again its probably
a good idea to stay away from the airbag. Make sure the SRS light on the dash goes out after a moment. If
not, youll need to get it reset if you didnt let circuits discharge sufficiently after disconnecting the battery, or
there may be a bigger problem. Test the power adjustment, all the switches and stalks, and dont forget the
horn.

A burled-walnut three-spoke wheel.

You wont see many 92 E34s with that
lower left stalk for power column
adjustment!
There, thats it. The power adjusting is a feature you may not use much unless you share your car with a
driver of different dimensions, but its one more nifty factory retrofit under your belt!


9. Fire Extinguisher and First-Aid Kit
Neat installations on the front seats
The fire extinguisher holder attaches to the front of the drivers seat, and
the first-aid kit slides underneath the passenger seat. The fire Project Profile
extinguisher originally came in halon and powder versions; the halon is
no longer available since halon depletes atmospheric ozone and Coolness: & & & &
contributes to global warming. Older extinguishers can be found, used. Utility:
The powder extinguishers work by melting onto hot surfaces Difficulty: (Extinguisher)
suffocating the fire but leaving a gooey mess. (First-Aid Kit)
Time:
The extinguishers are heavy, so they add a bit of weight to the car. Note Cost: ss
in the picture below that there is plenty of clearance for the drivers legs,
at least for a six-footers legs.
The first-aid kit contents, from Holthaus Medical in this case, include:
1 adhesive tape roll 500 x 2.5 (cm)

1 dressing 50 x 6
3 dressings 10 x 6
3 bandage packages 10 x 8
1 bandage package 12 x 10
3 bandages 60 x 40
1 bandage 80 x 60
6 compresses 10 x 10
3 gauze bandages 6x4
6 gauze bandages 8x4
2 triangular bandages 136 x 96 x 96
4 PVC gloves large
1 pair of first-aid scissors
12 safety pins
1 piece of chalk
1 instruction booklet
The piece of chalk is reportedly to write down license plate numbers on the street! Ingenious.

The instruction booklet in this case was from the German Red Cross, 20 pages long, in German, English, and
French, apparently designed for drivers license applicants. It has useful basic instructions and pictures.
Parts
Fire extinguisher Set, including mounting parts; used price 1 72 60 0 000 335 $95
Fire extinguisher holder A shell that attaches to the bracket 1 72 60 1 945 556 $47
Mounting parts set Includes bracket, spacers, bolts 1 72 60 1 975 682 $18
First-aid kit Used price 1 52 10 1 928 751 $40
82 12 9 401 430
Clip For first-aid kit 1 52 10 1 945 440 $2
Total (used) cost: $140
Einbauanleitung
Fire extinguisher, 2/88, 01 29 9 781 460 (also includes helpful instructions on using extinguishers, such as the
need to spray judiciously the halon and powder extinguishers only last roughly 8 and 12 seconds,
respectively!)
Fire Extinguisher
The fire extinguisher is a simple bolt on, but does require a little seat-leather cutting.
I found no need to take out the seat as the EBA calls for it might be marginally easier to do the install with
the seat out, but it was not worth the hassle. Ideally do the install while the seat is out for some other reason,
or simply raise up the seat.
The installation kit. The bracket is face-

down, showing the rear side with the
tabs that go in the seat. The two spacers
are not needed for standard seat
installation. The kit comes with two
M6x20 bolts, and four M6x16 bolts;
some of the bolts are not needed,
depending on the type of seat.

Fire Extinguisher and First-Aid Kit E34 Factory Options Guide
This is looking up from underneath the

front of the seat, which is toward the
top of the photo. The tab with fixed nut
on the extinguisher bracket fits up into
the rectangular hole shown, and the
bracket bolt goes through the circular
hole just visible under the leather at
the top right in the photo.. Note the
hook that holds on the leather, to the
top left in the photo.
If you really didnt want to cut your leather, it appears to be possible (deviating from the EBA instructions) to
install the bracket on the seat behind the leather, rather than make the incisions to mount the bracket on top of
and through the leather. A very short spacer might be useful. The seat leather would need to be unhooked to
screw in the bolts underneath the leather, and would have to be left partially unhooked. Either way that part of
the seat is hard to see, so even if one cut the leather and took off the extinguisher later, there would not be
glaring holes.
To make the incisions for the

bracket and bolts, you can feel for
the respective holes in the seat
metal through or underneath the
leather, then make a small cut and
widen it in the appropriate
direction. A probe or scribe can be
used to locate the circular bolt
holes, too.
Bolt holes, with bracket slots just visible

underneath.

The M6x16 bolt was a little short to

begin threading, so I used the
M6x20s. The bolt on the left
seemed to only just clear the motor
behind it in the seat.
When the bracket is on, bolt the

shell that cradles the extinguisher to
the bracket.
The extinguisher holder bolted on to

the bracket.
The completed fire extinguisher

installation.

Fire Extinguisher and First-Aid Kit E34 Factory Options Guide
First-Aid Kit
Box exterior.
The contents.
The first-aid kit slides into a neat space

under the passengers seat.
Note the two locating holes at the back of

the bay, into which two pins on the kit
slide.

A single plastic clip is needed to hold

the kit in place on the underseat
bracket.
Underside of the first-aid kit showing the

clip that holds it in place. The tab at the
left is pulled up to release the latch going
into the clip.
The clip secured to the seat bracket.
The first-aid kit installed.

10. Heated Seats, Front and Rear
Nice treat for winter
The easier way to get these for the front is to take the whole seat or seat
cover with heating out of a junkyard car! Alternatively, the front heating
elements are not too expensive to buy or difficult to fit, because the wiring Project Profile
loom is normally present (shared with the lumbar-support wiring). The
only tricky part is removing and replacing the seat leather from its
Coolness: &&
underlying foam or supporting mat. Utility:
Difficulty:
This chapter also shows you how to replace worn-out seat covers, even if Time:
for some reason you dont want to add heating. Many of the original E34 Cost: ssss
seats, particularly the drivers seat and its upper left side bolster by the
door, are worn and cracked now, because although the leather was of
high quality and quite tough, few owners seem to have treated them with the essential leather preservative and
conditioner. If you find leather in good condition in a junkyard, it can be transferred fairly easily, and best of
all the usually less-used passengers side fits perfectly on the drivers side (one cut in a hidden area of the
leather may be needed for a switch).
Rear seat heating was only available in the M5, but is retrofittable to the non-M5 seat because the seats are
similar (except perhaps for the special seat on some M5s, which has a fixed center console taking up the
middle area). The rear installation requires two wiring harnesses, one of which is quite expensive, but the two
harnesses also permit adding power to the rear headrests, so that makes the expenditure more worthwhile.
Parts
Front
Seat heater element, for seat leather seat 2 64 11 8 391 234 $71
base, front
Seat heater element, for leather seat 2 64 11 8 391 235 $71
seatback, front
Wiring loom, front in seat; probably already installed; 9/909/93 2 61 12 8 350 203 ~$75
Switch, front switch and connector, changed 9/90 2 61 31 1 390 888 $113
Covering cap In case lumbar switch is not installed. (Fills the 2 52 10 8 140 449 $2
adjacent hole that is uncovered when the blanking (light silver gray)
cover [52 10 8 140 443 light silver gray] is
removed to uncover the heating switch hole.)
Clamp hog rings to attach seat cover to seat 52 10 1 945 543 $0.05
Rear
Rear seat heater element, seat Left and right 1 ea. 64 11 1 391 795 $75
base and -796
Rear seat heater element, Left and right 1 ea. 64 11 1 391 797 $75
seatback and -798
Switch, for rear heating changed 9/90 2 61 31 1 374 221 $49
Wiring harness, power supply 1 61 12 8 355 184 ~$70
Wiring Smaller harness for underside of seat base 1 61 12 1 382 636 ~$160
Total cost (used and new): used front seats; new rear elements and harnesses ~$560
Einbauanleitung
Seat Heating, 6/95, 01 29 9 789 415 (front seats)
Leather trim, 9/95, 01 29 9 789 357 (doesnt cover seat heating, but shows how to remove and replace seat
covers)

Front Seats
When seats come from the factory with

heating, the elements are permanently
attached, sandwiched between the leather
and a sewn-on fleece and cloth layer.
Fortunately the replacement elements are
made to fit without having to sew them in.
Replacement heating element, this one for the

seatback. Bottom of the element is to the left.
The orange strip covers one of the adhesive
sections. The element for the seat base is almost
the same size, but not quite, and its wire is
placed toward the side.
The leather seat covers have thin metal

rods, in cloth sleeves that are sewn to the
leather at the seams along the side and
transversely.
At the top of the picture, notice the sleeves with

the metal rods (you can also just see the hooked
end of one of the lateral rods. Nearby in the
picture there is also an opened-up hog ring still
wrapped around a rod; it used to be also
attached to a parallel rod within the foam
below, along the groove, not quite visible here.
The seat base has two rods going left-to-

right along the seams, and the seatback
has one. The rods are clipped with hog
rings to matching rods inside the seat foam
(for the seat base) or to the underlying
support mat (for the seatback the mat is
made of glued-together strands of some
kind of fibers). Whereas the originally-
equipped elements go under these rods,
the new elements go between and partly
over these rods.
In the center of the picture you can just see the

lines of the two parallel rods the lower one in
the foam, and the upper one on the leather
cover. Hog rings clip the two together at the
gaps in the foam such as the one here.

Heated Seats E34 Factory Options Guide
The inside of the seatback cover,

showing the long sleeves along the
seams that hold the rods for the hog
rings.
The seatback with the cover removed

showing the fiber support mat in the
center.
Installation
Steps are:
1. Remove seat
2. Remove covers
3. Install the elements
4. Reinstall the covers
Step 1. Remove seat

Disconnect the battery.
See steps in the chapter on seat memory for seat removal. Also remove the seatback rear trim panel. Separate
the seatback from the seat base.
You do not need to remove the lumbar support, nor the seat rail, unlike what the EBA says.

Step 2. Remove covers

Take off the large plastic side trim
pieces on the lower sides of the seat
base. They are held on by two small
Torx screws, T25, and two plastic
push-clips. The access holes for these
screws may be just a little too small for
some Torx sockets, so a thinner Torx
screwdriver may be needed, or a Torx
bit.
Small holes for Torx screws on seat-base

side trim.
The clips are surprisingly tight, and

break easily try to squeeze them from
the inside as youre prying from the
outside.
The plastic push-clip on the seat side trim,

underneath the seat (black disk toward the
center of the picture).
Push-clip on rear of trim you can squeeze

from the inside as shown while prying out
from the front.

The clips are fairly tough, but may break,

so perhaps get some extras beforehand.
Replacement number is 52 10 1 873 544.
Half of this one has broken off.
Gently pop off the seat position switch

knobs, and unscrew the one, or two,
screws holding the switch to the trim.
Just one screw, larger than the E34s two,

used in this case.
Push out the memory and lumbar

switches from underneath, and
disconnect the wires.

If theyre not out already, pull off the

headrests. They are on tightly, so pull
firmly and get ready for a sudden
release when they pop off. The picture
shows what holds them on.
How the headrests are attached: the knobs

on the end of the chrome headrest bars are
held by the black plastic sockets on the
headrest drive mechanism.
Remove the armrests by taking off two

nuts inside the seatback frame.
Two armrest bolts on the inside of the

seatback frame; left nut is already loosened
in the picture.
Remove the leather covers from the

seat base and from the seatback by
stretching the leather off the metal
prongs on the seat metal. (Careful,
some of the prongs are sharp.) A few
prongs may be bent down, and may
need to be bent up to ease the leather
removal.
Bent-over leather-attaching prong.

The seat foam can be left on the seat

frame, although it might make it
marginally easier while youre learning
how to attach the hog rings to be able
to bend back the foam while it is off
the frame. If so, the seat base side
bolster foam may have some rubbery
glue holding it onto the frame peel
the foam back carefully so it stays
intact, and re-glue it if desired when
reassembling.
Glue patches are visible on the black seat

frame with some yellow foam bits still stuck
to them.
Fold back the left thigh section of

leather, giving access to the hog rings
and rods that hold the cover to the
foam. Use pliers to bend open the hog
rings along the left side of the seat and
then along the two lateral seams (or
cut the rings, but they seem quite
flexible and strong, so can be re-used).
You dont necessarily need to
disconnect the right-side rod of the
cover for heating element installation,
but bear in mind there are hog rings at
the ends of the lateral rods that are
very close to the right-side rod. Note
the locations of the rings, for
reinstallation purposes but its pretty
obvious, there are holes in the foam
where they go.
At the ends of the lateral rods there are

short strips of cloth that are glued to
the foam and need to be released.
Similarly detach the left-side and

lateral rods of the seatback cover.
Hog ring on seatback, barely visible,

attached directly to the seat support mat
rather than to a rod. Note the cloth tab that
was glued to the seat foam.

Step 3. Install the elements

Flip the seat base cover upside down,
then cut slits in the fleece 5 mm in from
the left seam.
Theres some lack of clarity about which

way up the heating mats go, and hence
where the adhesive attaches, but it
seems, based on inspection of other
examples, that the side of the heating
mats with slightly thicker material goes
toward the leather. (Look at the wires
inside the mat on one side you can
see the wires more clearly. This is the
thinner material side, which goes toward
the foam.)
Push in the strips of the element into

the appropriate sections of the cover,
using a ruler in the convenient end
pockets of the strips. The fleece can be
loosely stuck to the underside of the
leather, so clear a path first.
The adhesive sections of the elements,

covered with orange peel-off strips,
will be folded over at the ends of the
cover sleeves and attached to the
inside of the fleece. The EBA does not
call for slits to be cut in the far end of
the fleece in order for those adhesive
sections to come out and be stuck on
to the foam, rather than be stuck on
the inside of the fleece sleeve, but it
seems you could do it that way.
Element on top of the cover sleeves,

showing how it will lie inside the sleeves.

Take off the adhesive-covering strips

at the ends of the element inside the
sleeves and attach to the fleece.
Similarly install the seatback element

in its cover.
The element inserted, showing how it is

folded over. Note that, because of which
way the element was inserted, in this case
the long adhesive strip will be attached to
the seat foam (or better you could fold it
over once again and stick it to the outside
of the fleece).
Step 4. Reinstall the covers

Reattach the seat base cover to the rods
in the seat using new or re-used hog
rings. A pair of hog ring pliers (a cheap,
serviceable one can be found for $30)
is highly recommended for closing the
rings, but not absolutely essential.
Certainly worth the money. The hog
ring pliers have recesses in the tips that
hold the ring while its being closed.
Its hard to get ones hands in between

the foam and cover to close up the
rings, but it only takes a little practice
and trial-and-error to get the hang of it.
Hog ring pliers and an original hog ring.
Once the lateral rods are secured

except for the end hog ring, and not
the left-side fore-and-aft rod, take off
the adhesive cover strip and attach the
element to the foam. Then re-attach
the left-side rod.
Stretch the cover back over the rest of

the foam, and then over the seat base.
Reattach it over the frame prongs,
remembering to bring the element
wires out under the seat.
Dont forget to tuck through and reattach

the flap of the leather cover at the seat base
corners, shown attached in the picture. Use
a hog ring at the corner of the seats
wire/fiber lattice.

There may be a couple of hog rings to

attach at the rear, holding the cover
directly to the foam.
Spot the tiny hog ring near the thumb; one

is on each side of the seat.
Note that the flap of leather near the

seat-adjusting switch goes into the seat
frame across the top of the switch hole,
and hooks onto a prong pointing
inwards.
Above the top right corner of the pulled-out

switch, notice the flap going into the switch
hole. The prong it goes on is not visible
here.
Connect the seat base heating element

wire, and zip tie it close by:
Zip-tie for seat base heating element wire.

The white connector is the heating element
connector. View is looking toward rear of
seat base.

This is a good time to preserve and clean the leather, for example with Leatheriques Rejuvenator and
Cleaner. Regular treatment is needed or the seat leather will crack and deteriorate.
The seat-heating switch goes on the side of the seat, near the center
console in a little bay that is normally covered by a blanking plug
when there are no heated seats or lumbar support. The switch is
forward of the switch for adjusting the lumbar support. If you dont
have, or are not putting in, the lumbar support (go ahead and do it!),
youll need a cover for the lumbar switch hole, which will now be
exposed in the bay shared with the seat heater switch. See covering
cap in the parts list earlier.
Hole where the seat-heating switch goes. Lumbar support switch is shown,
aft of the vacant hole.
Liberate the appropriate tied-back branch of the seat harness, push it up through the switch hole, connect the
switch, then push the switch back down into place in the hole.
Reinstall:
lumbar switch, if applicable,
large plastic lower side-trim pieces, screwing on the seat-adjusting switch and attaching the knobs,
armrest,
fire extinguisher bracket if applicable, and
seatback rear trim panel, including two screws with trim caps at the bottom sides.
Somewhere along the way a piece

got dislodged for me. If it happens
to you too, this is where one of
them goes on the side.
The piece in question is the c-shaped

black plastic part in the middle of the
picture. It just snaps on.
Reinstall the seat base in the car, then attach the seatback by holding down the levers while sliding the
seatback down over the arms on the seat base. Slide in the headrest. Connect and zip tie wires as appropriate.

This is where the main white seat-to-

vehicle connector, X275, is zip tied
underneath the seat, toward the rear (non-
memory only).
Zip-ties for lumbar (top red circle) wires

and for harness coming up from the seat
base (bottom circle). Find similar locations
if using a different seatback frame. Note the
white tape around the harness by the lower
zip-tie. The factory usually uses these white
tape markings on the black harnesses to
show where a zip-tie or other holder goes.
Zip-tie for the seatback harness on the left

side.

Thats it! Next time in winter, bask in the glow of seat heating ....
Rear Seat Installation
Disconnect battery.
Take rear seat base and seatback

off (see chapter on rear headrests).
Take seat covers off by opening up

the hog rings, as for the front seats.
Hog rings being opened up on bottom

of seat base.
Unlike the seat heating elements for

the front seats, the rear elements I
ordered did not come with a cut-
out to go around the hog rings on
the lateral metal rods. The heating
wires, however, were clearly placed
away from the rods and rings, so I
cut slits that allowed most of the
rings to be attached.
Note that the hog rings do not need to

be removed from the metal rod on the
left in this picture (right side on the
seat). See also the pre-cut notches that
line up with the metal rods, and the
tape covering the adhesive at the front
of the seat. There were also two
adhesive areas at the rear of the mat.

As for the front seats, cut slits in the

fleece on the undersides of the
covers, and slide in the elements.
You may need to cut another small
hole for the wires, which come out
at the front end. Stick adhesive
areas to the covers, then reinstall
the covers.
Seatback cover folded back from the

seat foam, showing elements inserted
between fleece and leather on the
cover. Part of the element is tucked into
the groove in the foam along the side of
the seat.
There was an unused square hole

on the left side of the seat base, so I
ran the wire lead from the cover,
between the hard shell of the seat
base and the seat foam, and out the
hole. Possibly that might help the
lead not getting pinched where the
seat rests on the footwell wall.
There wasnt a similar hole on the
right underside, so if desired one
would need to be cut.
The left seat base heating element wire

lead comes out of the square hole at the
right of the picture, then connects to the
bridging wire, and finally at the left to
the seat base harness. Front of the seat
base is at the top of the picture.
In my case the wire lead was about six inches too short to connect with the harness that is attached to the
bottom of the seat base (going to the headrest switches too). I made a simple bridging harness, using spare
matching white 2-pin connectors (this shows the value of picking up extras of connectors and the like when
you go to junkyards, you never know when you might need something!).
The 2-pin connector halves for the seatback elements were white on the vehicle harness, but black on the
elements. The connectors are color-coded according to shape, and one color will not fit with another. So,
using the special contact-release tool, and after sliding the inner portion sideways to release the contacts, I
simply switched one of the two colors of connectors to match the other, again using spare junkyard
connectors.

If not already done, install the heater switches in the panel on the rear of the front console (see chapter on rear
power outlet) and run the wires (part of the main headrest supplementary harness) to them. Install a relay if
not done already (see discussion of installing the main supplementary harness in the rear headrest chapter).
Reinstall seatback and seat base.
Connect the battery, start the car, and test the heaters.
Congratulations, youve got just about the only E34 in the nation with rear seat heating!


11. Memory Seats, Mirrors, and Steering Column
In Case Youre Crazy Enough to Share Your Gem . . . .
Its wonderfully convenient to have seat/mirror/steering wheel memory if

you regularly share your car with a spouse or, God forbid, offspring if
you dont all have nearly identical dimensions. Of course, for those of us Project Profile
doing a bunch of the retrofits in this guide, it doesnt matter whether or not
the items will actually be used or needed, thats usually not why were
Coolness: &&&
doing them. Even if you dont share the drivers seat, though, theres Utility:
another use for the memory: on long drives, moving the seat to different Difficulty:
positions can improve comfort. Storing settings with slightly different Time:
positions and rotating among them on long drives can help prevent aches. Cost: sss
Although Internet postings often say this is too much trouble to be worth
doing, if youre up to some solid work it is actually not that bad at all, in my view, especially if your car is at
least partly pre-wired for memory (it probably is if you have Check Control). If youre pre-wired, little splicing
of wires is required, only adding supplementary harnesses, re-routing, and adding some new wires with
crimped connectors. Assess carefully your skill and resources for this job, dont be put off by Internet rumors.
All the U.S. E34 standard seats with lateral seams seem to be pre-wired for lumbar supports and heating, but
not for memory. In my case 535i the main vehicle harness that came to the drivers seat was pre-wired
with all the necessary leads. In the doors, a few substitute wires need to be laid. Needed in all cases is a
supplementary harness of which there were several variations depending on production date, control
module version, motorized steering column, airbag, and seat type which goes between the vehicle harness,
the seat, and the mirrors (and sometimes the steering column).
Because the various seat motors for memory have potentiometers added on (the motors themselves are the
same for memory/non-memory) in order to report seat positions to the control module, it is easiest to get at
least the seat base, as a whole, from a junkyard rather than trying to modify an existing non-memory seat by
adding on potentiometers or switching the motor assemblies.
Parts
Drivers seat with memory Seat heater switches and connectors 1 $200
changed in 9/90; used price
Drivers outside rearview mirror Mirror shape changed in 9/92, this is the 1 51 16 8 181 599 $75
earlier version; used price
Passengers outside rearview mirror Mirror shape changed in 9/92, this is the 1 51 16 8 181 618 $75
earlier version; used price
Mirror switch Used price 1 61 13 1 380 150 $10
Supplementary wiring loom This one is for pre-9/93 cars with electric 1 61 12 8 359 168 ~$50
steering column and early seat-heating
switches; at least 13 other versions exist;
get the loom included with the a donor seat
Memory control module This one is the early one; changed in 9/93; 1 61 35 1 388 561 $100
get the loom included with the seat
Total cost: $360
Einbauanleitung
None
Donor Parts
E32 and E34 seats generally share the same seat components, including base rails and base frame, so finding
a match is easier than it would be otherwise you can take the leather covers off your existing seat and put
them on a junkyard donor seat if needed. Some early E32s did have a different backrest whose shape was so
similar that you cant tell its different until you see the leather doesnt quite fit right. As I found out. So I

transferred its memory headrest motor to my old seatback, on which the leather, obviously, fit). Sometimes
differences in feel or width between E32 and E34 seats have been mentioned, but these may be attributable to
different seat wear, or the revision in seat leather in 1993, because in most cases the part numbers are
identical.
Spend some time checking the wiring diagrams for the donor car and your own car to make sure there are no
incompatibilities. The wiring on the seat itself is obviously quite different, but usually the pinouts at the
interface for all that wiring to the car at white connector X275 are the same, so things should work without
much rewiring at all. In my installation, one small difference was that the seat wiring brought voltage to the
seat side of X275/6 (for passenger and rear seat heating relays) and there was a wire on the vehicle side of
that pin that I didnt know the function of, so to be safe I disconnected the seat-side pin. Similarly, X275/5
was used in my donor seat (to unload the seat heaters while starting the car), but there was no wire on the
vehicle side of X275/5 in my E34, so no pin removal was needed.
From the donor car, get the:

seat, including control module,
mirrors (if E34 donor),
mirror switch in the drivers door,
supplementary wiring loom,
door looms (or just the wires connecting the mirrors, mirror switch, and small door wire connector in the
door, plus the wires leading to pins 1, 2, and 18 of the large door connector).
Obtaining wiring from the same or similar production date range is helpful for an easier retrofit. Note the
production month and year of the donor car when you get the parts, for reference to the wiring diagrams.
While youre at it, get a seat with seat heating too, if possible, and hence bypass the whole front seat heating
retrofit described in another chapter.29
Confusingly, the supplementary harness, which plugs into the main incoming harness (from the vehicle to the
seat; white 12-pin connector), also has some branches that go back out to the vehicle to the mirrors, a
ground, and optionally the steering column. The whole supplementary harness, including these branches,
should be obtained from the donor car. Also include the wiring harnesses from the drivers and passengers
doors.
The following description covers removal of donor parts from an E32. Steps will include:
1. Remove the seat

2. Disconnect the supplementary harness
3. Remove the mirror harness
4. Get mirrors
5. Prepare the door harness
6. Prepare the seat
Step 1. Remove the seat

Note that you can take the backrest off the seat base before pulling the whole seat out of the car. The seat is
quite heavy, so taking off the backrest cuts the load in half and makes things much more maneuverable. You
dont want to injure your rotator cuff, trust me. A wire harness coming from the base up to the backrest has to
be disconnected. Note where the zip-ties go.
Take off the seatback trim by unscrewing the two screws at the bottom sides, gently sliding it upwards a little,
then pulling the trims bottom end outwards. (See chapter on lumbar supports for pictures of the relevant
attaching clips.)
29
Note that early (before 9/90) heating switches did not have auto-shutoff incorporated into the switches, and instead an
unloader relay would cut off the seat heaters during startup. If you use a pre-9/90 heated seat in a later car, the unloader
relay is likely not there, and if the seat heaters are switched on they might be drawing on the battery during startup.
Memory Seats, Mirrors, and Steering Column E34 Factory Options Guide
To get the seatback off, use
adjustable groove joint (also known
as water pump) pliers to pull
down the spring-loaded levers. The
right-side one is shown in the picture
(grip the lever and the frame below
it, squeeze them together). There is
one lever on each side lift one side
a little then release the other lever
and lift that side, but dont twist
things out of shape. Someone
suggested its easier if you
disconnect the spring first, but its
usually not necessary.
The release lever is the hard-to-spot

small black horizontal tab on top of the
black wire sleeve, between the grey
lumbar motor and its white spring.
Seatback release lever being released

with adjustable joint pliers. Lever can be
tight, and can snap back.
Move the seat forward so the seat

bolts at the rear of the seat rails are
exposed. If youre lucky, your donor
car still has power (make sure
theres a fuse in F16 or F18); if not,
the factory thoughtfully put in a
power-failure backup capability: the
front-back movement motor can be
turned manually.
Seat nut is on the rear of the seat rail.

Note cutout in top of rail for socket
access.

Look at the slide motor, on the right side under the seat, oriented fore-aft. In the center of the front end is a
hole with a white plastic piece that when turned will, almost imperceptibly, move the seat. Unfortunately the
hole is some unusual type of socket, and some might not have grooves at all. One appears to be similar to a
Torx socket, but has eight spline grooves rather than six. It is probably a European double square socket.
Theres probably a factory special tool for it, but a screwdriver of the right width (4mm) can work in a pinch
and in fact is what the factory repair manual calls for. Be careful, you dont want to strip the plastic nut. It takes
an awful lot of rotations to move the seat substantially, so be prepared for some slow-and-steady work, and
check to make sure that you are in fact moving the seat in the correct direction.
If the hole does not have any grooves, some can still be turned by jamming in the right size (smallish but not
too small) screwdriver. A long-shafted screwdriver helps.
Once the seat is forward enough, use an E14 external Torx socket (external Torx splines are on the outside
of the bolt head, not the inside) to remove the two bolts at the back of the seat rails.
Look on the left underside of the

seat for a thin bare wire running
back to an articulated metal piece
at the rear of the seat base. If the
donor car is soon to depart this
world and be recycled, just cut the
wire; otherwise you can disconnect
it: the wire is held in place with a
pin that can be pulled out of the
metal piece at the rear.
The connector is just above the coins in

this picture. Here, the pin has been
swiveled about 45 anticlockwise; it
needs to go another 45 or so for the
flange to clear the connector, allowing
the pin to come out. Check your donor
car for coins, for good luck!
Swivel a little flange attached to the

end of the pin so that its u shape
clears the larger metal piece. This
allows the pin to come out, along
its axis, freeing the wire. The evil
part is that theres a tiny flap of
metal holding the u-shaped flange
in place, on the inside where its
extremely difficult to see and reach.
Here, however, you see a picture of
the flap (hopefully that tip makes
this guide worth the price of
admission all by itself saved you
25 minutes of wrestling!). The flap
must be lifted over the adjacent
metal to rotate the u-shaped flange
and pin; try sticking a micro
screwdriver up from underneath.
Its tricky to get the connector off,
since theres not much room.
Look for the tiny flap that is notched and angled out of the flat surface on the pin flange the flap must be eased up to
allow the flange to swivel out, as it is in the picture, and hence to release the pin.

Unbolt the seatbelt Torx bolt, again

E14.
Refer to the shape of the hooks on the

car floorpan that hold the front of the
seat in place, shown in the picture, so
you can get an idea of how the seat
needs to be moved to get it off.
Note that the seat needs to be tilted up

at the back only a little bit to slide it off
the hooks, maybe 810 inches. I
found it easiest to sit on the back seat
and push the lower back of the seat
with my feet gently, alternating sides a
bit, and also wiggling it forward. Be
careful not to bang the seat around,
one seat I took out possibly too
roughly had seat rock afterwards.
Front seat hook.
Step 2. Disconnect the

supplementary harness
I was at first stumped because the
main connector in the E34 from the
vehicle to the seat (X275, wi 12-pin),
which the supplementary harness
connects to for memory seats, was not
visible in the donor E32 (in my non-
memory E34 it was clipped to the
underside of the seat).
E34 main connector from the vehicle

(X275, white, 12-pin) on a non-memory
car. Some of the wires here are for
memory features even though the car did
not have memory.

But in the memory E32, X275

was underneath the carpet and
the rear-footwell air ducts. The
memory supplementary harness
was plugged in there.
Main seat connector, X275, on

floorpan underneath carpet.
Supplementary harness branches go
from it up to the seat through the
corrugated flexible hose, and
separately to the vehicle through wire
channels along the sill at left.
Supplementary-harness to vehicle-
harness connector was actually
located underneath the air ducts, as
shown here (just visible behind the
yellow connector), not on top as in the
earlier picture. Note the connectors
that go up to the seat, at right in the
picture (top three plug into control
module; lower one in bottom right
corner of picture plugs into another
harness on the seat). Also note the
white zip-tie wire holder on a stud at
left, with a useful, all-too-rare release
tab!
Check for any zip-ties under the seat for the supplementary harness and its flexible tube, and record their
locations and how the supplementary harness lies, when you disconnect it.
Loosen the sill wire channels, and free the harness branch that goes forward to the footwell. If the donor car
has an electrically-adjustable steering wheel, free the branch of the harness that goes to the steering column
harness connector.

Remove the footwell left-side plastic

trim (trim cover over the pedals,
carpet along the transmission tunnel,
and hood release lever need to be
removed first) to access the door
connector. Lift up the sliding bar on
one end of the large connector,
which will disconnect it from the
other half similar to the radio
connector, but thankfully not nearly
as tight. You may need to push the
connector out of its hole in the door-
frame sheet metal (remove plastic
plate with two screws) in order to
see and move the slide lock.
Door connector removed from front

door jamb. Vehicle-side of small
connector X622 is at bottom of
connector holder.
Only the small connector within the

larger connector holder is needed.
Theres a tricky lock on the
connector that I didnt unlock
because I couldnt figure it out at
the time, but you might want to do
if possible: flip up the small bright
blue flap on the side, then gently
pull (or better, pry with a pick) the
blue bar it is part of all the way out
of the connector. The flap is too
thin and the bar may be very tight,
so pulling on the flap is likely to just
tear it off. Instead, try pushing
sharp pick tools from either side
into the end of the bar, and then
levering out the bar. The larger
housing doesnt need to be
preserved, so you could just break
it to get out the small connector.
Blue locking bar on connector X622, partly pulled out. The flip-up tab is shown, in this case it has already torn off.
Put the blue bar back in, since it serves to lock the contacts in place.
Step 3. Remove the mirror harness

It is a tight squeeze to get the harness out of the door on the E32, since its largely behind the inner door sheet
metal. Take off the door panel its widely covered elsewhere, but in summary, pry off two wood trims, unbolt
two bolts behind them; pry off edge of door panel, which is held in with numerous white clips; unscrew door
lock knob; disengage panel from metal clips at the top of the panel along the window; lift panel slightly to free
center clip, then pull out and off; unhook door handle cable; and disconnect mirror switch (keep it, youll need
it for your memory mirrors).
Take off the screw for the speaker grill at the lower front of the door window and remove the grill. Take off
another screw for the speaker trim and move the trim out of the way. Then unscrew the mirror bolt (6mm
allen wrench); hold the mirror while doing so.

Disconnect the wire harness at the

mirror. Look for either a black
gummy plug or a grayish
styrofoam-like plug, or both, which
keep water out, around the wires
going into the door, and remove
them. Push the mirror harness
down into the door.
Looking straight down from above the

mirror. Grey connector is just visible
peeking out of the right side of the
rubber cover. Waterproofing plug is out
of sight in the door, further down the
wires, to the right.
Put your hand in the space along

the bottom of the inside of the
door, and feel for the wiring coming
in from the door connector. (Watch
out for sharp edges, such as the
clips and bottom of the window
track.) What youll actually feel on
the E32 is a plastic 3-sided box,
about 4 inches tall, 1 inch wide,
and 6 inches long, through which a
similar-shaped rubber sheath
around the wires passes. The front
ends of the box and the sheath are
what you see at the front of the
door. At the rear end of the box is a
white clip.
Note that front end of box with rollers is
broken off, here. A dirty day at the
yard!
Unbolt the clip from the sheet

metal.
Clip is mounted behind this sheet

metal. Bolt goes through the bolt hole
right next to it in the picture.

Then pry up both the bottom ends of

the clip to ease it up off the box.
The box has two halves that clip

together along the long dimension; see
if you can separate them, and then see
if you can push/pull a half out the front
of the door. If either is negative, youll
probably have to break the box: I
didnt see an easy way for the larger
connectors from inside the door to get
past the fixed roller bars at the front of
the box (in which the rubber sheath
normally rolls as the door is opened
and closed). The E34 does not use this
box or the sheath.
Left roller shown, theres another matching

one on the right side of the box.
Once the box pathway is clear,

disconnect the harness from the various
holders on the inside of the door; if you
can figure out how to get the wire out
of the holders, fine (one on top of the
clip you can see by peering into the
door; two others flip open; a couple
you can push out of the sheet metal
from the outside of the door), otherwise
break off the holders by pulling/prying
them or the harness itself.
One white clip (on top of the roller box)

that you can see by looking in the door.

Another clip, on the bottom of the door,

two zip-ties on it.
Disconnect the connectors by the

door handle (three), door lock
actuator, and regulator, and
navigate their wires past the inner
door obstructions so they can be
pulled out of the front of the door.
Remove the clip on the rear end of

the rubber sheath (or pinch it in the
middle), and pull the sheath and
the harness out the front of the
door.
Clip separates at one end.
Cut open the rubber casing at the

door connectors to liberate the
wires. Keep the woven fabric sleeve
on the needed wires by cutting the
unneeded ones and sliding them
out of it.
Whew hard work. Take a break,

drink an iced tea if its summer,
otherwise perhaps a toasted
almond.

Step 4. Get mirrors
The E32 mirrors are, sadly, oh-so-very-slightly different than the E34 ones, which makes it difficult because
E34 memory mirrors are quite rare, whereas all E32s Ive seen had memory. No, the memory mechanism
inside an E32 mirror cannot easily be transferred to an E34 mirror because it seems to be attached by melting
studs of the mirror plastic over the mechanism base plate. Best bet is to find E34 memory mirrors in the
European used market. For about $100150, the mirrors can be repainted to match your car, which opens up
the options further.
Note that if youre repainting donor mirrors and hence need to take off the mirror glass, the direction
that you move a screwdriver to lever open the release ring is opposite for the left and right mirrors to
unlock the release ring on the left mirror, pivot the screwdriver handle left, away from the door; to unlock the
ring on the right mirror, pivot the screwdriver also left, towards the door. The factory and non-factory manuals
I used failed to clarify this.
Step 5. Prepare the door harness

The new harness from the donor car can be simply added alongside the existing harness in the door, but only
a few wires from it are needed, so you can make a new, reduced donor harness. Back at the lab, separate the
wires needed, starting by unwrapping or carefully cutting through the friction tape. The friction tape usually
leaves behind a sticky black goo everywhere clean it up with adhesive remover before you get any on your
leather seats.
On my donor harness, ground wires for the door heater, door handle switch, and window limit switch were
spliced to the memory wires. One could keep these branches of the wires on the harness, and swap their
connectors with the ones on the appropriate connectors on the car. But I found it easier to just keep the
branches of those wires that we need (i.e., going to the mirror connector and the mirror adjustment switch),
and run them to unused pin holes on the door connector.
Examine the wiring diagram that follows to see an example of what we need to have.

This diagram illustrates the harness that you need to end up with, depending on your production years. It is made by
removing the unneeded wires and connectors from the donor cars door harness. The wires to X257/12 and /13 will have
other wires spliced to them; these other wires can be cut off. The harness will be installed alongside the existing harness in
the non-memory door.

Now, as describer earlier in this

guide, slide the inner part of the
connector a tiny bit past the locking
tabs to unlock the contacts. It is
possible to take the inner part out
completely, as shown in the picture,
but this is not desirable or easier.
The picture shows the inner part of the

connector clearly.
Once the center piece is slid sideways, use the factory contact release tool to take out the wire sockets from
their slots. Take out the small connector from the larger door connector housing, prying out the blue locking
tab (see earlier discussion) if necessary, or breaking the housing.
A completed abridged driver door harness in approximate relative positions, with connections labeled. The three door
ground branches with single-pin connectors are not needed unless you wish to swap their connectors in for the originals.
Blue tape is my labeling.

Perform a similar operation for the

passenger door harness. The
passenger harness has fewer
splices, and the relevant wires can
be liberated without any wire
cutting.
The desired right-side door memory

mirror harness, after separation from
the full door harness. Gn/bk and br
wires that dont go into the small door
connector at left, but rather go into the
larger door connector that is not
pictured, are for the mirror heater.
Step 6. Prepare the seat

If necessary for a color match or for wear, transfer leather seat covers, headrest, and side trims from the old
seats to the donor seats.
If your new seatback is different (e.g., an early E32 one) and your old (or newly-acquired, in-the-right-color)
leather covers dont fit it, and hence you want to use your old seatback, transfer the memory headrest motor
with potentiometers to the old seatback. Strangely, although the early E32 seat that I obtained used exactly the
same headrest raising/lowering mechanism as the later seats, its facing was reversed. This positions the
headrest-post-attaching sockets an inch or so differently on the earlier seats, to line up with the headrests posts
that were located (by the frame) in a correspondingly slightly different position than on the later seats. Since I
was using the later seatback, but needed the memory equipment from my earlier donor, I left the later
headrest mechanism in place and just brought over the early memory motor and drive cable, without the
mechanism. (I looked into the possibility of transfering just the potentiometer, from the early motor to the later
motor, but it was easier to do the whole memory motor.)
Headrest motor with potentiometer

(black device at the top). The motor
itself is the same for memory or non-
memory; memory simply adds the
potentiometer.
If youre bringing over the headrest mechanism, it unbolts with a single screw under the leather at the top of
the frame.

The headrest motor simply unbolts

from the side frame.
Headrest motor on the right side of the

backrest frame.
The drive cable disengagement

from the headrest raising/lowering
mechanism is not straightforward.
The cables plastic sheath is held in
only by teeth on the metal
receptacle/cylinder where it
terminates. If possible, try to bend
the teeth on the cylinder at the
raising/lowering mechanism end up
from the plastic cable with a
jewelers screwdriver inside the
cylinder without damaging the
cable or cylinder! Either way, heat
the sheath/cylinder with a hair dryer
until the plastic is soft, then pull it
firmly out. Or potentially you could
destroy the cylinder to free the
sheath and cable.
Picture shows headrest drive cable.
Do the same for the original

motor/drive, and bolt in the
replacement motor and heat/insert
the cable drive.
Note that something had been chafing

the memory headrest motor wires in my
case inspect and wrap the wires and
sheath if necessary.

Clip on the connector holder, very
gently (the thin lattice-wire-gripping
tabs can be extremely brittle), and
zip tie the cable to one of the lattice
wires.
Possible zip-tie location for the headrest

motor cable (pliers are pointing to it).
Because the potentiometer on the

memory motor makes the top of
the motor sit higher, it was
contacting a spring on the frame in
my case. I slid the spring higher on
the lattice, and put some tape on to
avoid potential squeaks. Consider
other, more-durable solutions, too.
Tape added to avoid potential squeaks.
My donor seat used a relay, bolted

to the seatback frame (like the
headrest motor but on the other
side) that needs to be transferred
along with the seatback harness.
Unbolt its bracket (and put the bolts
back in the bracket for now, so you
remember which ones they are).
White relay, partially hidden behind left

side of seatback frame, and its two
bracket bolts.

Plug the seat switches (memory, seat movement, heating, lumbar, and very rarely thigh support) into the
new trims.
If you have a fire extinguisher (see chapter in this guide), install it too. You might want to cut holes in the
leather for the bracket now, but actually install it later so that it doesnt get in the way while testing the new
seat in the car.
Installation
Steps will include:
1. Preparation
2. Lay supplementary wiring
3. Install mirror wiring
4. Install seat
Step 1. Preparation
Disconnect battery.
In your recipient car, remove:

the left and right door sill covers;
old seat and mirrors, as above;
footwell trims, as above (see chapter on drivers glovebox);
and front door panels.
Be very careful not to scratch trim, paint, or anything, with the seat rails etc. as you take out the old seat.
Left front door sill trim lever it up

gently, right next to the clips, with a
large screwdriver.

Deadpedal / speaker cover trim, all one

piece.
Hood release handle coming off 7mm

nut.
Detach the door connector from the

door jamb by unscrewing the trim
holding the rubber tube and
grommet. You will probably be
taking off the door (in order to
reinstall the connectors easily see
the discussion further on). If so you
might want to do it first, its much
easier to unscrew the connector trim
bolts with the door off.
Door connector has two 7mm bolts. The

top one may need to be reached with a
normal combination wrench with an
angled head, or perhaps a swivel socket
the straight socket shown above did
not have enough room to get in.

Pull the door connector holder

toward the outside of the car, and
separate the two halves by levering
up the end slide.
Door connector holder pulled out a little

way. The wire connector release bar at
the top of the connector holder (right
next to the blue sheet metal in the
picture) is already partly pulled out.
Move the inner half of the connector

into the footwell, for access to it.
Similarly access the right door

connector.
Inner part of the door connector has

been pulled out of the cavity in the
inside sheet metal. Supplementary
harness branch for the door mirror will
be run along the harness going to this
connector.
Step 2. Lay supplementary

wiring
Lay the supplementary harness
(possibly still attached to the seat
base) from the main seat connector
(white 12-pin), now put under the
air ducts and carpet, to the left sill.
Supplementary harness attached to

vehicle seat connector and installed
under footwell air ducts. Front of the
vehicle is to the left of the picture.

Gently pry out center pins (some may

be stiff) and then remove plastic rivets
to open up wire channels.
Lay the appropriate branch of the

harness forward to the left door
connector (shorter branch to bk 10-
pin) and to the steering column (if
an appropriate white connector is
included on the harness for the
optional electrically-adjustable
steering column).
Supplementary harness running

forward in channel (untaped section will
be routed forward into cavity in sheet
metal at top left).
Zip tie the harness in the cavity or elsewhere, if desired.
If one obtains an E34 small connector alone, one could move the pins from the E32 harness to the E34
connector rather than cutting the E32 connector to get it to fit in the larger holder. The E32 connector (door
side) part number is 1 378 928 (for early and late examples that I found), and the attached male-male
converter is 1 378 992, but I could not find the E34 part numbers (they may not be available from the factory
anymore anyway, so a donor vehicle would be the only option).

Next, remove the wire channel

covers along the rear door sill and
rear seat (see chapter on rear
headrests).
Slide out rear footwell air vent

covers in order to be able to lift up
the rear carpet more easily.
The clips visible in the picture have a

couple of sharp teeth that hold on the
vent trim.
If you have the electrically-adjustable steering wheel, connect the portion of the harness that goes to the
steering column harness connector.
Run the other, longer branches of the harness backward along the sill, then along the front of the rear seat
bench in the wire channels toward the right sill (see chapter on rear power outlet). Thence run the single
ground wire through the hole at the base of the rear seat bench wall by the battery, and up to one of the
ground posts on the back side of the wall (just to the right of the battery). Dont forget to attach this single
small ground wire; when I finished the whole job after a long gap, I couldnt figure out why the memory
system wasnt working, until I rememberd this unattached ground.
Run the black-taped connector branch forward in the sill wire channels to the right door connector, and put
the plug in a slot.
Step 3. Install mirror wiring

Its much easier to work with the E34 door than it was with the E32 donor because the wiring is largely on the
outside of the inner door sheetmetal!

Lay the cut-down donor memory-

door harness along the original
door harness.
Existing, non-memory, front portion of

the door harness. Note connector for
mirror switch (white, in upper center of
picture), connector for mirror (black,
upper right), and the spot where the
original harness goes into the door
toward the door connector (lower
right). The memory mirror connector is
usually in the mirror rather than on the
door. (Also note the round black plastic
bushing just above the mirror switch
connector that is where a hidden
door panel screw goes.)
Begin by taking off the door panel

and the weatherproofing sheet.
Panel removal is covered in
numerous sources, but steps
involve removing door lock knob,
cap and screw behind handle,
mirror switch, and angled Phillips
or Torx screw buried behind the
mirror switch hole (see above);
releasing from the clamps along
window; and unhooking the
Bowden cable.
Try not to scratch the switch or damage

the leather when prying out the mirror
switch. It is held in firmly by metal-
covered plastic flanges at top and
bottom, visible in the picture.
Now pull off the grommet at the

door end of the rubber tube for the
door harness connector.
Integral grommet on door end of rubber

tube.

Insert the appropriate end of our supplementary door harness, including the three loose wires, into the door.
Put them alongside the original harness into the hole leading to the front edge of the door and thence to the
rubber tube. Pull the wires out of
the front edge of the door. Tape up
the ends to make the passage
smoother, then carefully pull the
wires through the rubber grommet.
Its a tight fit, but can be done. Pull
the main larger group of wires with
their rectangular connector through
first, then the smaller ones, together
or individually. A hooked pick can
help in this whole process.
Two taped-up sets of wires pulled

through the rubber grommet. The
hooked pick at right was used to
encourage them through, along with
pushing from the rear, and kneading
the tube over the wires and connector.
Be very careful with a pick, it could tear
both wires and tube.
Using the special contact release tool, remove the gn/bk wire from pin hole 18 on the outside connector
holder, X257/18,30 and tape it up. As usual, youll need to slide the inner part of the connector to the side
slightly, to free the pin.
Insert the loose wire of the same

gn/bk colors from the
supplementary door harness (that
we just brought through the rubber
tube) into hole 18 and make sure
the connector pin (female) snaps
into place.31
New wires from the memory door

harness ready to be inserted into the
outside half of the door connector.
30
Connector and wire listing format is: wire connector number / pin number, primary wire color / secondary wire color;
wire cross section in mm2; sometimes number of connector pins; connector color.
31
Note that the wiring diagrams show a 2.5 mm wire upstream of this connector for memory E34s, and only a 1.5 mm
wire for non-memory ones. That would seem to indicate a larger wire was needed for this circuit (that section only leads to
the memory mirror heaters), but this is belied because in both memory and non-memory vehicles the wire leading into this
connector is down to 1.0 mm. So using the existing car wiring doesnt appear to be a problem.
Now insert the br/or (mirror

position switch) and br (mirror
heater) ground wires into any free
pin holes. I used holes 12 and 19.
Free pin holes (this is the inner half of

the connector) 12 and 19 are to the
left. Tiny pin numbers are marked on
this surface of the connector as well as
on the outside connector.
Make up new ground wires with

crimped-on contacts and ring
terminals, and insert them in the
matching slots of the inside
connector. Run the wire(s) to a
ground under the dash and
connect them to the post with
crimped-on ring terminals.
Mirror ground wires (darker brown)

attached to the ground post with ring
terminals, along with existing ground
wires (lighter, orangy-brown).
Now for the tricky part. It was exceedingly difficult to get the door connector halves back together while
ensuring the small connector halves within it mated and stayed connected. This was because the outer portion
or shell of the non-memory connector does not come with the normal locking mechanism to hold the small
connectors in place while the outer shell and large connector were pushed together unlike the outer shell on
the memory-E32 that I got the memory wires from. (The connectors used with memory from the factory
should have a bright blue locking piece that slides in from the side, on at least the inner half. You can see the
holes in the shell where the locking piece slides in. If you can find that piece or what its part number is, good
job.) The best solution is probably to find the outer shell and connectors from an E34 with memory, because
they would have locking tabs to hold the small connector in place (the E32 shell is quite different than the
E34s, so it wont work). Part numbers for many of the large wiring connectors are not easy to find on the
ETK, so a donor car may be the only option, though not a great one since memory E34s are so rare.
If you get the right connector, you would need to correctly transfer the pins from existing connector on the car
to the new connector. If you cannot obtain the shell/connectors from an E34 with memory, do one of the
following methods to mate the connector halves.

Although it seems like it would be more work, in fact the second-best option (after obtaining the right parts)
also avoids the tricky part of the reinstall. This is to take off the door! Its surprisingly easy, and does not need
door re-aligning. The main thing is to be very careful lifting off the door and moving it around so you dont
scratch the paint on it or the car.
Undo the bolts on one end of each hinge pin. Knock out the door brake pin (some models have a securing clip
too).
Prepare a safe place to lay the door

so that the connector will easily
reach its mounting hole on the
body. I put it flat on an adjustable-
height workshop stool, being
careful afterwards not to knock it
off. Then lift off the door although
it may seem stuck in the hinges, it
can come off suddenly, so dont let
it hit the bodywork when it does.
And the door is quite heavy, so be
ready for its weight.
Test-fit the small connectors in the

outer connector shells in order to
see how far in they need to be to
mate with each other, after
trimming the tongues on the sides
of the connectors as necessary to
get them to fit into the grooves on
the shell.
Test-fitting of small connector in one of

the outer shell slots.

Pull the inside connector out

through the bodywork hole, mate
up the two connectors, and then
look and feel in the back of each
one to make sure the small
connectors are fully seated with
each other. The key is to test
operation before putting everything
back together.
Once you have a working mirror, put the rubber and its brace back over the outer connector portion and
carefully insert the mated connectors in the mounting hole, making sure you dont jostle the inner connectors
and dont separate them by accident. Test operation again once the connectors are mounted.
If for some reason youd rather not take off the door, you can attempt mating up everything without doing so.
Try, using a bracing finger on the back of each small connector (reaching a hand far into the cavity in the
footwell sheet metal for the inside connector), to mate up the shells and two connectors.
You might get lucky after several

tries; if you fail, try this: take the
male-male pin connector piece off
the inner harness small connector,
and put it on the outer small
connector.
Male-male converter piece taken off

inner small connector; put on outer
small connector, at left in the picture.
Then insert the outer connector in position in the hole in the door frame. With the inner small harness still
through the inner connector, reach inside the footwell cavity and mate the small connector to the male-male
converter piece, making sure with your other hand that the outer connector doesnt slip backwards. Finally,
bring up the inner connector and maneuver it around until it slips over the inner small connector and then
mates with the outer larger-connector pins. It might take a lot of patience, but they should eventually mate up
in position.

Success: this shot from inside the

footwell cavity shows the inner small
connector (with wires wrapped in
electrical tape), large connector (at top),
and outer shell in position and all
mated to their outer counterparts.
Zip tie the harness along the other

footwell cavity wires.
Memory harness, in black friction tape,

zip tied in place.
Re-secure the rubber hose and grommet to the door jamb and the door front edge.
Now back to the supplementary harness on the door: re-wrap the branches with friction tape, as desired. To
reproduce the factory method, start from the connectors and work inwards. The nylon braided hose can
usefully go around the wires by the hole into the door panel, where it could help against chafing.

Take off the old mirror. First ease

out the grommet, at the top front of
the door panel, that holds the
mirror harness, and push the
harness through it.
Mirror harness grommet removed.
Pop off the screw cover and take

out the screw holding the door
speaker grill and speaker.
Take off the screw holding on the

speaker trim to gain good access to
the single bolt holding on the mirror.
Unbolt the mirror (6mm allen
wrench) while holding it from the
outside.
Thread the harness out of door, and

remove the non-memory mirror.
Speaker trim moved out of the way. Its

screw (a different one than the grill
screw) goes into the speed nut visible in
the picture. Mirror bolt and washer are
towards the bottom right.

Warning, graphic content coming

up, shield your childrens eyes! I
found bad rust behind the mirror,
on an otherwise perfect door.
The hole where the mirror bolt stud

and wiring harness go into the door.
Apparently the three pieces of foam

packing in the door and mirror
dont do much to keep out water
and may even form a water trap,
given the extent of rust I saw.
Bad rust, viewed from the rear side.

There was a white plastic receptacle,
probably for one of the locating studs
on the mirror, to the outside of where
the large rust hole is in this shot. Watch
out, my receptacle fell out and utterly
vanished inside the door.
Lift away the door weatherstrip and

foam packing pieces to see the full
extent of any damage.
You might want to consider putting

on some caulking or sealer when
reinstalling the mirror.
This view is looking down from the top

of the door frame. Aaaaagh! The rusted
area looks wet in this picture because it
has just been treated with a rust
converter.

Insert the new harness through the old rubber door-panel grommet (put the grommet flaps toward the interior
of the door, that is, toward the outside of the car); its possible you might need to take off the connector, put
the wires through the grommet, and reattach it on the other side.
Then thread the harness up through the door panel and out the hole to the outside of the door, and connect
to the memory mirror connector. Using your three hands, put the rubber covers in place on the connector
while holding the mirror to prevent it banging anything. As youve noticed, the non-memory mirror harness
connects on the door panel inside the car; the memory harness connects next to the mirrors. Making sure the
wires, packing, and studs all dont impede the mirror seating, bolt on the memory mirror.
Now zip tie the supplementary harness to the door panel, using the old harnesss clips and its attachment
points as a guide. Check the back of the removed door panel to see where it might conflict with your routing
of the supplementary harness, and
test fit the panel as necessary. Make
sure the new wires will not ever
stray in the path of the toothed
regulator section visible in the
picture, or other moving window
parts. Run the window up and
down, while being ready to halt it
quickly if needed, to see the wide
area the toothed piece and other
parts travel in.
Front portion of the memory harness

attached alongside the non-memory
harness (which stays in place since it
has several non-mirror door functions).
Various different routings or

attaching points can be used, the
version shown is just one
possibility.
Rear portion of the new harness, newly-

wrapped in friction tape. Not all of the
wires in the part that goes to the back
and then loops forward are needed, so
they could be cut off if desired. Note re-
use of existing harness clips.
Plug in the grommet on the door interior surface for the harness going up to the mirror. Reattach the
speaker/trim and door panel, remembering to attach the door handle cable first.

Put carpet, trims, weatherstripping,
door panels (inserting new mirror
switch on drivers side), connectors,
etc., back into place.
Repeat the above steps as

appropriate to install the mirror
harness in the passenger-side door.
Wiring harness run forward along right-

side door sills, into passenger footwell,
and then into bodywork cavity.
Mirror harness connectors scrunched

into their cut-out in the mirror foam
spacer on the passenger side.
New tape-wrapped mirror harness

coming down along the existing
passenger-side door harness, looping
around underneath the window motor
to take up slack, and heading forward
out the front of the door.

Step 4. Install seat

Place the seat in the car its usually easiest to put in just the seat base first and add the seat back afterwards.
Unplug any pins as necessary at the main vehicleseat interface (connector X275). On my installation I
unplugged X275/6 and taped it up.
Test operation with the seat in the car but not bolted down, in case you have some troubleshooting to do. Plug
the supplementary harness into the X275 connector and slide them under the air ducts below the carpet.
Connect the four supplementary

harness connectors to their partners
on the seat and memory module, if
they were separated before.
Connect X626, the black connector

toward the rear of the seat base, to its
matching connector on the
supplementary harness (secure the
appropriate half to the holder on the
seat base first). Half of X626 is visible
toward the middle of this picture.
Connect the other three connectors on

the supplementary harness to these
slots at the rear underside of the
memory control module.
Test the seat operation. Note that you should not push at all hard on the seat memory switch buttons, since
some people have had trouble with the underlying circuit board getting dislodged inside the switch assembly.
When everything works, bolt in the seat (32 ft-lb) and seatbelt (35 ft-lb) with the E14 bolts.

Attach the seatback. Plug in and zip

tie the seatback connectors and
harness once the seat is assembled
in the car (see seat heating chapter
for some zip-tie locations).
Seatback harness attached to headrest

potentiometer (tiny blue connector at
upper right), headrest motor (white
connector, right), lumbar motor (black
connector, right), seatback heater
element (white connector, left), and
relay (behind leather at upper left).
Unused connector (lower of the two
white ones to left) may be for rear
passenger picnic table illumination!
Wow, that was a pretty big job. Fabulous work!
Play with it to your hearts content.


12. Adjustable Lumbar Support
Another excellent plug-and-play retrofit
This option was not generally available on U.S. E34s, perhaps it appeared
on the M5 and the late 540i Sport. It is, however, an easy and nifty
retrofit, particularly since it appears that the wiring loom is in place already Project Profile
if the seats are electric or heated. For those of us who enjoy good lower-
back support, this device can help noticeably on long drives.
Coolness: &&&
Utility:
The switches (to adjust the support out and in) are tucked away in Difficulty:
recesses on the side of the seat near the handbrake, aft of the heated seat Time:
switch. Cost: sss
The option is available for the front passenger seat too.
Parts
Lumbar support 2 52 10 8 102 291 $196
Switch For lumbar support; bulbs are often burned out 2 61 31 1 378 381 $38
Wiring harness Probably only needed for manual, non-heated 2 61 12 8 350 203 $73
seats
Einbauanleitung
Lumbar Support, 8/92, 01 29 9 781 298
Installation
The steps are:
1. Remove seatback rear trim

2. Install lumbar support
3. Connect harness
4. Install switch
5. Re-attach trim
In contrast to what the EBA says, I did not find it necessary to remove the seat from the car; I had little
difficulty performing the steps with the seat in place. The EBA says to remove the seat, probably in order to
remove the side trim of the seat and install the lumbar switch, but I was able to install the switch without
removing the side trim.
Given the choice, you may not want to remove the seat, because when I did for another project, I created a
little seatback rock that was not there before. Alternatively, if youre installing memory or seat heating, the seat
base and seatback come out anyway.
Step 1. Remove seatback rear trim

The following pictures show the clips that hold on the seatback trim.

Seatback trim. This is a view of the

bottom right corner, looking to the right.
Pull the trim up and out at the bottom to
lift the spring clip shown off the edge it
grips.
The clips shown in the picture hold

the top of the trim in place. Once
the bottom of the whole trim is out,
push down slightly on the panel, so
these top clips clear the seat frame.
Be careful not to rip any of the clips
off the panel, theyre not strongly
attached.
Seatback trim. This is a view of the top

right corner, looking to the right.
Step 2. Install lumbar support

assembly
Unhook the leather at the sides of
the seat, toward the bottom. The
picture shows the rear of the seat
with the trim off, prior to installation
of the adjustable lumbar support.
The fixed lumbar support is the
green zigzag rod. The higher,
connected, white connector on the
black clip just below the headrest
motor is for the electric headrest.
The lower, unconnected, white
connector is for the seatback
heating. The black unconnected one
is for the lumbar support.
Inside the rear seatback.

Lumbar Support E34 Factory Options Guide
Remove the two clips holding the

green zigzag rod to the wrapped
wire lattice (see picture). The clips
were very strong and needed quite
a bit of force to be pried off. The
EBA doesnt say it anywhere, but
in a factory-installed lumbar
support, the clips attach the rod to
the lattice too, just as for the fixed
wire support. If desired they could
be re-crimped on for this lumbar
installation.
A clip pried off the fixed lumbar rod.
The picture shows a close-up of

the bracket that supports the right
side of the adjustable lumbar
support. Remove the green rod by
loosening the metal flanges
holding it in at left and right, and
cut the wire tie visible in the
picture.
Lower right, inside the seatback.
Insert the large pin on the right of the lumbar bracket into the pre-existing hole in the seatback frame, and
insert the locating lug on the left. The EBA text makes the left-side installation sound more complicated than it
is in some cases on my car I didnt need to move whatever lever it was talking about.
The part number for the securing Torx screw is not readily identified, but extensive digging elsewhere was
rewarded with a listing of 52 10 1 954 098.
Step 3. Install wiring

Note that your (U.S.) car will likely have the lumbar wiring in place, assuming the seats are not manual seats,
even if you do not have seat heating.
Connect the black 2-pin connector of the seatback harness to the matching connector from the lumbar
mechanism and slide both onto the dual connector holder.

Step 4. Install switch

Find the blue switch connector on the switch harness underneath the seat base, detach it, and maneuver it up
to a position near the switch hole in the trim on the side of the seat. Its tight between the seat side trim and
the seat rails and mechanism, of course, but not too tight, even for my large hands. Pop out the plastic
blanking piece that covers the switch hole, from underneath or by pulling up with a pick. Then from above the
seat, fish up the connector through the switch hole, connect it to the lumbar support switch, and press-fit the
switch back into its locating hole.
Lumbar switch on side of seat; view is

looking down.
Step 5. Re-attach trim
Put the trim back on and screw in the screws.
Finito. Test the operation of the support, not forgetting to turn on the exterior lights and check that both sides
of the switch are illuminated my brand new switch from the factory had one of the two bulbs out, reportedly
the bulbs often are non-functional.
Enjoy a more comfortable seat!

13. Moonroof
A very rare option indeed . . .
A few of the early E34s had a moonroof (a glass sunroof) as a factory

option. The company that made the moonroof panels, HBI Saratoga Project Profile
Tops, is no longer making moonroofs. If you ever see a panel, snap it up.
The only marking seems to be 824222. Its a drop-in replacement for Coolness: &&&&
the steel panel. Utility:
Difficulty:
The same frame/cloth assembly is used both for the separate sunshade
panel of the moonroof and for the attached bottom panel of the metal Time:
sunroof. The moonroof version of the panel has a pull handle on its lower Cost: ssss
side and a black cover on the top side, and omits a couple of pieces on
top needed for the motorized movement of the metal sunroof version. So if your moonroof omitted the
sunshade, in a pinch you can use your old sunroof piece. In lieu of the pull handle, try wiring on a pull tab
made from a short piece of woven nylon, for example from a luggage shoulder strap.
Moonroof from the inside. Note this

pull handle is the other color (tan)
rather than the proper matching gray.
Parts
Moonroof get sliding sunshade too; used price 1 52 10 8 102 291 $400600
Einbauanleitung
None
Installation
Slide the sunroof two-thirds of the way back so that you can stick your head part way up through the sunroof
opening. Look backwards at the front edge of the sunroof. Spot two black plastic clips that grip pins, one near
each side of the sunroof. Release the clips from the pins by spreading the clip arms out. Slide the shade back.

Move the sunroof forward again.
Unscrew the three bolts (T25 Torx)
now visible on each side.
Middle Torx bolt on right side being

unscrewed.
Look for a metal clip in the sunroof

well, toward the front on each side,
going over a tab on the sunroof.
Use a pick or other tool to pull the
top of one of the clips in slightly,
toward the center of the car, while
pushing the sunroof up over it.
Without letting the sunroof fall back
down, do the same on the other
side.
A pick pulling the clip inward slightly to

allow removal of sunroof. (Picture
actually shows the moonroof, but
sunroof is the same.)
Lift out sunroof be careful, its

heavy, and the sharp metal tabs for
the screws will scratch the roof if
they touch it.
You might want to renew the

sun/moonroof sliding pieces to avoid
any rattles developing the way they
did for me (the glass roof is probably
heavier than the original metal
sunroof). Theres a plastic slider at
the front and two felt/rubber sliders
at the rear on each side. To reach
them, you take off the plate covering
the cable tracks.
An oval front sliding piece, off its tab.

Moonroof E34 Factory Options Guide
Double brown felt/rubber rear sliding

pieces, in place.
Slide in the sunshade through the

sunroof opening, toward the front,
then slide it back into the headliner
out of the way.
Install the new moonroof,

tightening the Torx screws with the
moonroof in a position such that it
is 1 mm lower than the plane of
the roof at the front and 1 mm
higher than the plane of the roof at
the rear.
Moonroof from the outside.
Its as easy as that.
Enjoy gazing at the moon through your very rare moonroof (hopefully not too much while driving).


14. Rear Power Outlet
Strangely absent
If the wiring is present, this is an easy plug-and-play installation. In my

case the wiring was not present, even though the car had many other Project Profile
extra wiring harnesses. If the wiring is not present, minor splicing and
running of wires is needed. The outlet and the trim plate it goes in were Coolness: &
used on some E32s. Utility:
Difficulty:
Note that if you have kids, dummy plugs are available that can replace the Time:
lighter element itself, for safety.
Cost: ss
Parts
Cover New trim plate that holds socket 1 51 16 1 928 708 $7
Plug Fills holes for seat heater switches in trim plate 2 64 11 1 368 498 $4
Power outlet socket ( 1/91) 1 61 34 1 367 690 $8
Power outlet socket (1/91 ) 1 61 34 8 350 958 $8
Lighter element 1 61 34 1 375 967 $16
Clamping bush for lighter Holds on bulb socket 1 61 34 1 362 968 $8
Bulb socket 1 64 11 1 366 170 $2
Bulb 1.2W 1 63 21 7 167 000 $2
Wiring Get from donor car
Einbauanleitung
None
Description
The rear power outlet / cigar lighter, and even the underlying wiring, seems rare in U.S. E34s, perhaps never
installed from the factory in anything but the early years. The wiring may be obtained from a donor E32. Use
the wire connector removal tool (see Accessories and Other Options chapter) on the donor car to release a
wire in the drivers footwell connector.
The four wires are (1) socket power

wire (rd/wi/ye) (at bottom left in
picture below), which leads to a
connector in the drivers footwell,
via the left door sill wire channels
rather than the transmission tunnel,
(2) socket ground (br) (bottom
right), (3) lighting power (gy/bk)
(top left), leading to a splice with
several other gy/bk lighting power
wires near the front left corner of
the rear seatwell, and (4) lighting
ground (br, thinner) (top right),
which on some E32 donors winds
its way to a ground inside the right
rear seatwell.
Wiring for the rear power outlet.

Installation
Start by disconnecting the battery the power outlet circuit is always hot!
Take out the panel at the rear of the center console and take off the center console (see electric rear sunshade
chapter).
Remove the door sill covers for the left doors and also the right rear door, lift up the carpet, and remove the
wire channels in the rear passenger footwells and along the left door sills.
Lay the wiring harness alongside

the large existing wiring loom.
Harness in left rear footwell. Note,

outlet power wire (rd/wi/ye) in the
picture is only temporarily laid into the
rear seatwell, it ultimately goes forward
along the sill to the driver's footwell.
Right-side harness the thin and

looped brown wire.

Rear Power Outlet E34 Factory Options Guide
On the right side, the ground wire from

a donor E32 may go forward into the
wire channel along the right rear
passenger door sill to a dead-end
splice, then double back to the ground
point in the right rear seatwell.
View looking down at right door sill, just

forward of the rear seatwell. Note ground
wire going into and out of white plastic wire
channel along sill.
The ground point used here is on the

inside front wall of the seatwell, next to
the battery. Other ground points are
nearby.
Ground points next to the battery.
Pull back the carpet over the

transmission tunnel, and unscrew the
thick wire channel that lies along the
top.

Insert the four wires under the carpet

and out through the hole. Then
reinstall the console and the wire
channel.
Four power outlet wires coming up

through carpet, in center of picture.
Connect the wires to the socket on

the back side of the console pop-out
trim panel. Remount the panel.
Bulb-holding bracket is the black

cylinder above the silver power socket
cylinder. Its wire connections are on the
end.
Connect the other end of the smaller

ground wire to a ground of your
choice.
Brown ground wire (center of the

picture) crimped to a ring terminal and
attached to a ground post next to the
battery.

Splice the other end of the lighting

power wire to one of the other small
gy/bk wires along the left door sill
(that color wire is usually an interior
illumination wire; check it before
using it 12V at the end of your
wire when the light switch is on).
Gy/bk wire spliced to two others using a

Posi-Lock connector (the bright blue
cylinder).
Finally, run the socket power wire

forward along the door sill through
the wire channels to the drivers
footwell. Remove the relevant trims
to access the appropriate connector
pedal cover, lower dash trim (see
drivers glovebox chapter) and
deadpedal. Careful with the
deadpedal, they often crack slightly
at the bottom where the pedal
surface meets the side panel. The
quarter-turn plastic screws of the
deadpedal go into plastic bushings
on the sheet metal; put the bushings
back if any fall out.
Main power wire running forward.
The connector that the wire normally

runs to is not in the speaker cavity in
the sheetmetal or high up, but
behind the floor carpeting in the
front corner of the footwell. It is
connector X14 (yellow, 30-pin in a
92).
Connector X14 in the left footwell. The

connector normally lies underneath most
of the other wire bundles that are visible;
it has been moved forward for access, in
this picture.

If youre in luck and you probably wont be on a U.S. car there will be another rd/wi/ye wire on the other
half (front-of-the-car, fuse-box side) of the connector. That wire is spliced, in the front fuse box, onto a wire of
the same colors that goes to the front power socket. So if you dont have the rd/wi/ye wire coming out of the
front-of-the-car side of your X14 connector, you can connect the wire youve brought forward to the circuit
that goes to the front power socket my wire had enough length to reach, anyway. Check the wiring diagrams
to see what is being described.
The front-outlet circuit goes

through connector X15 (white, 30-
pin) on the bottom left of the
under-dash connector dock, a little
above X14.
X15, higher up than X14, under the

dash. On the right of the connector see
the two catch levers that need to be
moved to release the connector, which
pulls out toward the front of the car. It
might be easier to pull the connector off
the bracket after having disconnected
the halves.
Free the connector from the dock

by moving the small catch levers,
then separate the two halves by
pulling or levering out the slider,
which will push on internal tabs to
separate the halves.
The slider that separates the connector

halves has been levered out. (The
visible black and white connectors have
been moved out of place, they normally
attach where X15 is in the picture.)

Next release the inner section of the

connector, which locks the pins in
place (as described before, for
example in the disassembly of the
donor door-mirror harness in the seat
memory chapter, slide the inner
section slightly sideways past the tabs).
There should be a rd/wi/ye wire going
into pin 20 at the front-of-the-car side
of the connector, and a rd/gn/ye wire
coming out of the other side that goes
to the front power outlet socket. The
pin numbers are shown in the ETM
and are usually marked (very small
raised numbers) on the mating face or
rear face of the connector. Take out
pin 20 from the front side.
Pin 20 extracted from the connector. (Note that in this picture the inner portion of the connector has been removed from
the outer portion its better just to slide it sideways.)
Crimp the two same-color wires

together on a new larger male
connector pin, 61 13 1 376 195.
Old female connector cut off the wire from

the rear outlet.
Insert the new pin into the correct pin

hole until it clicks into place.
Two rd/wi/ye wires crimped together (also

wrapped in electrical tape) and inserted in
the connector.

Alternatively you could just splice those wires together away from the connector, but I think the merge at the
pin is a neater, more original-looking installation.
You could also run the wire from the rear to X14, as in the factory layout, and then run a new wire from that
X14/19 pin to the X15/20 pin and you would need to do so if your wire from the rear isnt long enough to
reach X15. Similarly, if you do happen to have the rd/wi/ye wire coming out of the front side of X14 in your
car, you would simply insert the wire you brought forward from the rear power outlet into pin X14/19.
Connect everything back up, and test the rear socket.
Voil! Enjoy your rear-seat passengers new access to power.32
Note BMW dummy plug in place of the

death-stick igniter.
32
The manual says to use devices only up to 200 Watts, for the front socket alone.

15. Rear Door Sunshades
One of my favorites; not too hard
Some European E34s were fitted with factory sunshades that were
integrated wonderfully with the door panels. The larger shade is recessed
into the top of the door panel, and the quarter shade is recessed into a Project Profile
new trim for the small pillar between the main and quarter windows. Coolness: &&&&
The shades can be fairly easily retrofitted, with only two drawbacks: cost of Utility:
the parts, and that for a perfect installation a slightly different and Difficulty:
nearly unobtainable or prohibitively expensive door panel (or the top strip Time:
of the panel) is required. The good news is that, with a little internal Cost: sss
cutting, and relocation of the door lock knob, the regular panels will work
quite well.
Parts
Sunblind for main window 1 ea. 51 16 1 973 681 $89
and -682
Hook for main blind 4 51 16 1 973 901 $2
Cover for hooks above 4 51 16 1 973 905 $2
Clamp for chrome trim strip 8 51 21 8 107 857 $1
Screws for shade roller 8
Body nut speed nut for roller 8 07 12 9 925 708? ~$1
Sunblind for quarter window 1 ea. 51 16 8 102 455 $94
and -456
Hook for quarter blind 2 51 16 1 946 206 $1
Cover for hooks above 2 51 16 1 964 319 $2
Screw for hooks above 2 51 16 1 948 970 <$1
or 07 11 9 907 939
or #8 x 1/2 sheet metal screw
Support for quarter blind, lower 2 51 42 1 969 335 $2
Support for quarter blind, upper 1 ea. 51 16 1 978 155 $2
and -156
Square nut to hold quarter blind top 2 07 11 9 921 412 <$1
Screw for quarter blind top 2 M4, short, 5mm or so <$1
Cover for screw above 1 ea. 51 16 8 117 743 ~$1
and -744
Lever for door lock knob 1 ea. 51 22 8 102 965 $1
and -966
Total cost: $390
Note: Optionally, if you dont want to cut the holes in the existing black window-surround trim, new trim with pre-cut holes is available, 51 34 8 138 881 and -882, $56 ea.
Einbauanleitung
Rear side window roller blind, 1/90, 01 29 9 783 611
Installation
Some special tools are useful for this project:
A very sharp hobby knife for cutting the door panel fiberboard
A reciprocating saw can speed up certain fiberboard cuts
A circular saw is handy for cutting the slots for the speed nuts holding the roller
The steps include:

1. Remove door panel
2. Remove chrome trim strip and replace clips
3. Remove window-surround trim; cut holes for hooks; refit

4. Attach quarter-blind brackets; reinstall chrome strip

5. Cut slot for roller and screw/nut holes in door panel
6. Cut backing off door panel near slot; fold and glue
7. Attach roller to door panel
8. Cut hole for door lock knob; fill old hole
9. Replace existing lever for door lock knob
10. Attach quarter blind
11. Attach hooks for both blinds
12. Reinstall door panel
Step 1. Remove door panel

Take off the panel that covers the inside of the door. Be careful removing the parallelogram-shaped plug that
covers the screw in the door pull, they are somewhat tight and if your screwdriver slips they scratch easily.
Scratchable screw cover in door pull.

Note one of three retaining ridges.
Screwhole behind door-opening

handle (screw has been removed).

Rear Door Sunshades E34 Factory Options Guide
Screwhole behind ashtray.
The door lock lever knob unscrews.
At the top of the door panel, a

vertical flap of the underlying
fiberboard fits into clips
underneath the chrome strip. To
remove the door panel, first ease
the top of the panel and these flaps
out of the clips, pulling slightly in
towards the center of the car and
then upwards.
Clips that hold the chrome trim strip,

door panel top, and shade in place.

Closeup of a clip.
Gently lever the window switch

out, then disconnect the
connector.
Window switch connector, shown with

the door panel already off. Note also
the black plastic door panel main clip
below it. Remove it, and reattach it to
door panel before reinstalling the
panel.
With a putty spreader, or better yet

two, lever out the clips that hold
the edge of panel to the door. The
clips are in pretty tight, and will
give a loud pop when they come
out. Try to lever out right next to
the clips, so the clips and their
backing plates dont get pulled off
the panel fiberboard (they are just
glued on).
Now reach behind the panel and

swivel out the Bowden cable for
the door-handle lever.
Door-handle lever Bowden cable.

Step 2. Remove chrome trim

strip and replace clips
Note ridge on the blue sheet metal below

the raised-up clip and chrome trim strip.
When in place, the clip grips the ridge
tightly.
Lever gently. Raise the clips evenly or

the trim can bend, especially where its
thinner, by the c-pillar.
Compare the old and new clips and

note how the new ones are intended
to hold a somewhat deeper vertical
strip, which is now going to be the
side of the roller, soon to be located
where the door fiberboard and its
vertical strip will be cut away.
Comparison of special (left) and standard

(right) trim clips. Note the greater depth
of the one on the left.

Step 3. Remove window-surround trim; cut holes for hooks; refit

Be careful removing the black trim strip! It is on quite tightly at the curves in the window, and can snap if
pulled in the wrong way. There is nothing special holding it on, just its C-shaped cross-section. I suggest
starting from the front, wiggling it off firmly but very slowly.
The EBA includes templates for

marking the holes to be cut in the
trim. You can print them out.
Although they were close, I found
them to be slightly off when I
printed them out myself, even after
adjusting for the different size of
European and U.S. pages. (Note
that you can order new trim pieces
with the holes already cut;
probably not worth it for $50 each,
but its your choice!) So before you
cut the holes in the trim, check the
marks against the screwholes pre-
drilled in the doors.
Trim, with hole cut to access screwhole

for hook in door metal.
Step 4. Attach quarter-blind brackets; reinstall chrome strip

Note that the screws for the quarter blind supports are, nicely, already on the car (in the case of my car, at
least).
Unscrew them and use them to install the brackets.
Preinstalled screws to hold on the quarter shade. Middle

screw is not used, top one is hard to see in this picture, it is
above the barely-visible drilled hole toward the top of the
door.

Lower bracket for quarter shade.
Upper bracket. Note hole in black trim

for main-shade bracket screws, to
upper right.
I struggled mightily to find the mystery trim strip shown in EBA picture F34 51195. Never found the part
number, wasnt in the ETK that I could see, perhaps it only came in the retrofit kit. Happily, but strangely, it
doesnt seem to be important, certainly its not needed for the shades to function.
Step 5. Cut slot for roller and screw/nut holes in door panel
The regular door panel seems to be virtually identical to the one for the sunblinds. The only differences I could
detect were that the latter has a projected area that sticks into the cabin a wee bit for the slightly different
location of the door lock lever (which now has to bypass the rolled-up sunblind), and it has slots/holes cut for
the roller-attaching screws. The regular panel has the same raised portions where those slots/holes go, which
helps in making this way of installing the panels feasible.

Put the main roller in place, and

mark where to cut away a long slot
for the shade to come through near
the top of the door panel. The cut
must be made without cutting into
the topmost layer of the door panel
(see more on the topmost layer,
below). The fiberboard can be cut
carefully with a reciprocating saw,
or more safely and much more
slowly with a sharp hobby knife.
The fiberboard cuts relatively easily
with a knife but requires numerous
passes.
Fiberboard of door panel cut away to

make room for shade.
The slots for the speed nuts can be

nicely cut with a circular saw. The
slots should ideally be cut where
the bottom of the speed nuts will
lie, which depends on where the
screw for the speed nuts goes,
which, in turn, depends on where
the shade itself lies. I lined up the
shade evenly with the top of the
adjacent fiberboard horizontal
section. Align the saw carefully,
and dont slip.
Slots cut for speed nuts, and speed

nuts installed.
Step 6. Cut backing off door panel near slot; fold and glue
The door panel includes two layers at the top, both of which need a slot cut in them for the roller. The topmost
layer has outer decorative plastic on top of the fiberboard. The layer seems to be glued onto the underneath
layer only at each end. If it comes off, some of these cuts are easier, and it can be glued back on later.
If you managed to obtain just the top layer of the door panel the piece with the appropriate projection for
the door lock knob you would now take off the original piece and glue on your new one.
If not, do some more cutting: I very carefully sliced between the plastic and fiberboard with a sharp knife, then
cut off only the fiberboard, allowing the plastic to be folded over and glued underneath, making a neater-
looking installation. Use a metal sheet or something between the fiberboard and plastic when cutting the
fiberboard away so you dont accidentally cut through the plastic covering too. I used superglue to attach the
folded-underplastic seems to be holding so far. I used a row of large binder clips to hold the plastic in place
while the glue was setting.

Cover plastic on top of fiberboard; both

plastic and fiberboard lie atop the main
fiberboard door panel.
Covering (grey material to the left)

carefully cut away from fiberboard (next
strip to the right), and fiberboard
removed.
First clamping clips in place.

Step 7. Attach roller to door

panel
Use the screws that came with the
roller to attach the roller to the speed
nuts on the door panel.
Shade screwed into door panel.
Step 8. Cut hole for door lock

knob; fill old hole
Assuming youre using regular door
panels not the special shade ones, a
new hole must be cut for the door
lock knob, a half inch further toward
the middle of the car than the old
hole. This is a bit tricky since the
panel is curved there go slowly and
think in 3-D. If desired, the cut-out
piece of plastic and fiberboard can be
fitted nicely into the old hole.
Otherwise fill or cover the old hole
using some other method.
New door lock lever hole, with divot used

to cover old hole.
Step 9. Replace existing lever

for door lock knob
Comparison of old (with knob) and new

door lock levers.

Step 10. Attach quarter blind
Upper screwhole for quarter shade. View

is looking up, toward rear of door. A
matching plastic piece will cover the hole.
Step 11. Attach hooks for both

blinds
Quarter shade hook and cover in place,

with shade attached.
Predrilled holes for main shade front-

hook screw and alignment lug (i.e., not
for two screws).

One of two hooks attached, cover not yet in

place.
Step 12. Reinstall door panel

Dont forget to take the black center
clip off the door and put it on the
panel before reinstalling the panel.
Both shades, installed and deployed.
Finished!
If you didnt use the factory sunshade door panels, well done for your craftsmanship in adapting the non-
sunshade ones. If you did, still a fairly big job!
Your kids and other rear-seat passengers will appreciate the shades on long, sunny trips.

16. Rear Armrest with Storage
Another storage spot
In the United States, armrests with compartments did not come on the
E34s, apart from the whole fixed-console construct in the M5s that had the
two-rear-passenger seat. Again, the E32s come to our rescue: they usually Project Profile
had one of two storage-bin armrest designs.
Coolness: &&&&
The stowage in the rear armrest is particularly useful since the E34 rear Utility:
doors normally do not have storage bins on them.33 Difficulty:
Time:
Although the ski sack can be used with the armrest in place, its probably Cost: ss
better to remove the armrest, which these designs make easy. In one case,
there is a quick-release mechanism on the armrest bracket that releases the
armrest from the seat. That mechanism has latches that slide into braces on the seatback.
In the other case, the armrest can be pulled out of its bracket, which is bolted to the seatback and stays in
place.
Parts
Whole armrest and bracket used price 1 ~$100
bolts, nuts, washers, split lock washers, spacers; $10
attaching hardware
M6 or M5 size
Sample armrest part
numbers
Armrest, upper, leather 1 52 20 8 141 686 $508
Euro M5 9/91 ; E32: 12/90 ; silver gray
one-button type
Armrest, upper, leather; 1 52 20 8 162 914 $353
530i, 540i; 9/92 ;
one-button type
Armrest, upper, leather; two- 1 52 20 1 951 593 $508
E32, 9/90 ; usually gray, not light silver gray
button type
Armrest, upper, leather; two- 1 52 20 8 143 723 $503
E32, 9/9012/90
button type
Bracket (quick-release type) E32, 12/90 1 52 30 1 951 191 $38
Oddments trays for rear doors 1 ea. 51 16 8 150 953 $88
and -954
Body nut 5mm 4 51 41 8 108 117 <$1
Einbauanleitung
None
Description
There were two main kinds of storage armrests used on the E32 applicable to the E34.
33
In theory, there actually were small rear door bins for the E34, but I have never, ever seen one. The only way I found
out about them was by poring over the parts catalog. There, they have the fun part name oddments trays and are simply
bolted onto the door panel. Needless to say, the parts are no longer available from the factory, if they ever were.
Armrest from later cars is on left; from

earlier cars, on right.
Cars up to about 12/90 build date

used the early-type of armrest. This
was held in by a quick-release
bracket similar to that used for the
E34 ski-sack armrest (see that
chapter), but this bracket is much
shorter, so the brackets arent
exchangeable without modification
of the seatback.
Short quick-release bracket, shown

from the top rear, looking down.
The early-type armrest was

distinguishable by having two
release buttons on the front of the
armrest, one to open the lid (top
button) and one to allow the
armrest to be raised and lowered
(bottom button). It is possible this
armrest design was replaced
because klutzes were pulling up or
down the armrest without pushing
the release button, breaking the
mechanism or bending the
mounting bracket.
Two buttons on the front of the early-

type armrest.

Rear Armrest E34 Factory Options Guide
The quick-release latches on the

armrest bracket hold on to braces on
the seatback. On E32s, the braces
were usually welded to the seatback;
on the E34 the braces were screwed
higher up into pre-threaded holes in
the seatback.
E32 quick-release brace (black bar in the

upper middle of the picture). Compare with
E34 higher-up braces in the ski-sack
chapter.
On the late-type (12/90+) armrest, the

bracket bolts to two flanges on the
seatback, very near to the flanges
holding the seatback to the rear
bulkhead. (These flanges should not
be confused: the armrest flanges are
higher than the seatback flanges, and
are flush with the plane of the
seatback, whereas the seatback flanges
are at an angle.) The flanges used to
attach this bracket were welded to the
E32 seatback, and dont show up on
the E34 seatback although on my
E34 there was a raised portion of the
seatback frame apparently indicating
where the bracket would go.
Armrest bracket bolted, from the rear, to
seatback flange. Lower black plastic nut
holds seatback to bulkhead using another
flange on the seatback.
Shown here is one of the side pins that

pop out of the bracket when taking out
the late-type armrest. The armrest pin
simply pulls out past some springs in
the bracket.
Pin on the side of the armrest that snaps

into bracket.

The late-type armrest is also

distinguishable by having only one
release button on its front. That button
releases the compartment lid; unlike
for the first armrest, there is no button
to lock the armrest in place, up or
down.
The button/latch is actually attached to the

lid.
Installation
Either type of armrest can be used for the E34, but they both require minor modifications to the seatback. The
early type needs a pair of the factory braces bolted to the seatback, the late type needs a pair of hardware-
store plates bolted on.
In my case the early-type armrest, which I preferred, was exceedingly rare in my cars light silver grey color.
You may or may not be able to get your preferred type in the right color. I obtained both types (see picture
earlier). Check the ETK to find which years your color was available, although in my case it didnt appear to
be quite right, as far as the colors went.
To install, take out the rear seatback (see rear headrest chapter). Put the armrest and bracket in place on the
seatback in order to mark cuts and drill holes. Cut the leather on the back of the seatback frame; make a flap
so that either the factory braces or hardware-store plates, as appropriate, can be bolted flush to the frame
metal. Line up the braces or plates, and mark the drill hole locations on the back of the frame. Take out the
armrest and bracket again, and drill bolt holes for the braces or plates. Then bolt on the respective pieces.34
Early-Type Armrest
The screw-in braces used for the E34
armrest are somewhat longer than the
welded-on braces used in some E32s,
so they push the top of the armrest
forward a bit in the raised position. A
solution is to use spacers backing
plates, washers, or the like between
the braces and the back of the
seatback frame, to move the braces
back about 3/8 relative to the frame.
(The braces will then push the bottom
of the seatback forward a bit relative to
the bulkhead behind the seatback, but
not an unworkable amount.)
Brace bolted onto seatback frame, with
early-type armrest bracket in place. There
are spacers underneath the brace plate, not
visible from this angle.
34
In the original installation, the braces screw into threads tapped into the seatback frame and into reinforcement metal
welded behind the frame: threads now tapped only in the thin frame metal are probably not enough to secure the braces.

Rear Armrest E34 Factory Options Guide
In the case of the early type of

armrest, the quick-release armrest
bracket just pops into place, using
spring-loaded latches holding on to
the braces.
View of the back of the seatback (out of

the car), with early-type armrest and
bracket in place. Note the tabs at the
bottom of the bracket, which fit into slots
in the seatback frame.
Theres another wrinkle to the early-

type E32 armrest installation but
also theres an easy solution. The
large leather flap that covers the ski
sack area when the armrest is in the
down position appears to be not
quite long enough to reach the E34
hook-and-loop attaching material at
the top of the armrest hole. I simply
made a hook-and-loop extension
by sticking some new hook-sided
material back-to-back with some
new loop-sided material. This
bridges the gap the backrest
frames hook material sticks to the
extensions loop side, and the
extensions hook side sticks to the
armrest flaps loop material.
Late-Type Armrest
Bolt the bracket to the hardware-
store plates you have already
attached to the seatback, using the
threaded holes on the bracket and
the M6 bolts with washers that came
with it.
Plate bolted onto seatback frame, with

late-type armrest bracket bolted to the
plate. Original bracket bolt is the gold-
colored one to the lower left. Hardware-
store bolt (M6 or M5 size) is the steel-
colored one to the upper right. Hardware-
store bracing plate is a substitute for the
welded-on plate that appears in factory
E32 installations.

Now that youve completed this retrofit, enjoy your rear-seat luxurious ambiance, and the handy extra storage
space.

17. Ski Sack
Lumber, anyone?
This add-on is useful not just for skis, of course, but for 2x4s, tall CD
towers, etc., etc., that are too long for the passenger compartment. The Project Profile
armrest and the ski sack itself can be taken out and put back in easily.
Junkyard U.S. E32s seem to have them not too infrequently. The sack has Coolness: &
a zipper along part of it, so that things that are even longer than the sack Utility:
+ trunk can be carried, though they might start to interfere with gearshift Difficulty:
and handbrake. Time:
Cost: s
Parts
Ski bag goes through rear seatback 1 72 60 1 969 209 $186
Cover the ski-sack plastic frame 1 72601964519 ~$16
Bracket quick-release bracket for armrest 1 52 20 1 978 002 $29
Bow the braces that the latches on the armrest bracket hold 2 52 20 1 978 009 $9
on to
Countersunk head screw M6x12 4 52 10 1 817 063 <$1
Trunk partition trim panel can also just cut the old one; two pieces in the new set 1 51 47 8 181 478 ~$80
Einbauanleitung
Ski Bag, 12/97, 01 29 9 787 597
Installation
The basic process is:
1. Remove rear seat base, seatback, and armrest

2. Remove bulkhead insulation and sheet-metal panel
3. Remove trunk trim paneling, cut to size or install new panels
4. Attach frame to ski sack and install on bulkhead
5. Attach quick-release bracket latches on seatback
6. Attach armrest to new bracket and install
Step 1. Remove rear seat base, seatback, and armrest

See headrest chapter for notes on taking out the seat.

Step 2. Remove bulkhead
insulation and sheet-metal
panel
The insulation on the passenger-
compartment side of the trunk
bulkhead is pre-marked for cutting.
The insulation can actually be
separated along the perforations by
hand, but a knife makes a neater
cut, particularly in the foam
underneath the top layer (although
using a knife has the drawback of
possibly putting cut marks in the
paint underneath, so be careful).
View of the top of the armrest cavity,

showing perforated cut line. Hook-and-
loop at the top holds on the leather flap.
The aperture for the ski sack pass-

through from the trunk is pre-cut in
the bulkhead sheet metal. The EBA
says knock the panel out with a flat
chisel, but apparently the designers
cleverly (and at extra cost!) put
dimples in the sheet metal from the
passenger side at all the appropriate
break points, allowing a pin punch
to be located properly. Using the pin
punch produced far superior results
for me the sheet metal tabs
sheared cleanly sometimes with one
blow, whereas a flat punch almost
didnt work at all and marred the
bulkhead metal more.
Pass-through panel, viewed from the

trunk.
The EBA calls for painting any bare

metal with zinc-based anti-corrosion
paint. Spray cans of it are available to
the regular consumer at hardware
stores and online a little can be
sprayed in a cup to liquefy it, then
painted on with a brush if thats
easier.
Pass-through panel from the passenger

compartment. You just might be able to
see the dimples. Note the two white
plastic plugs at the bottom. The plug for
the round hole (for the ski sack box
release button) is already out.

Ski Sack E34 Factory Options Guide
Step 3. Remove trunk trim
paneling, cut to size or install
new panels
The trunk paneling is held on by the
bizarre plastic nuts shown in the
photo. I thought maybe there was a
special service tool designed to fit the
opening, but the EBA specifically
says to use a screwdriver.
Huh? A stud nut for a tridriver?
In my case I cut the existing trunk

paneling rather than buy the
separate pieces new. Note that the
cut-out area is not centered left-right
on the paneling, i.e., it is not exactly
in the middle of the piece. I marked
the location of the pass-through hole
on the back of the paneling while it
was in place, then took it off again,
lined up the ski sack in its frame on
the paneling, and marked the cut
lines. Make sure to mark and cut so
that the ski-sack frame will overlap
the panel edges; dont mark to the
outside edge of the frame.
One of the cut portions of the trunk

paneling.
Step 4. Attach frame to ski sack

and install on bulkhead
The ski sack frame snaps together
over the ski sack.
Ski sack frame: side facing up in the

picture goes toward ski sack, side facing
down goes toward trunk. Top is to the
left.

At the top, make sure the tabs on the

frame go into the right slots of the ski
sack assembly if youre forcing it,
try the other slots.
Insert the ski sack into the pass-

through opening.
Ski sack viewed from the front.
Rest the bottom tabs over the edge

of the sheet metal and snap the top
clips into place. The top clips did not
go on easily in my case, but
checking the alignment from the
passenger compartment side and
pushing and pulling firmly did it
without breaking anything.
Bottom tabs over the edge of the sheet

metal. Note that the fourth clip, on the
right, is still behind the sheet metal, not
yet over the metal the way it should be.

Top clips over the sheet metal, at the

very top of the picture.
Step 5. Attach quick-release

bracket latches to seatback
The new armrest bracket has spring-
loaded latches that hold braces on
the seatback.
The bolt holes for the braces are pre-

cut, and the leather is somewhat so,
as seen in the picture, but additional
snips were needed in the leather for
the latch plates to lie flush against
the seatback metal.
Bolt holes and pre-cut leather along the

side of the armrest hole in the seatback.

Brace screwed into place on the

seatback, viewed from the front, through
the armrest hole.
Step 6. Attach armrest to new

bracket and install
New quick-release bracket.
Tabs on the bracket bottom (left of the

picture) go into slots on the seatback
frame.
The EBA says that the armrest is

attached to the old bracket with a
bolt, but in my case it was a one-
way toothed spring clip, which was
somewhat hard to get off. Lever it up
gingerly, perhaps with a pick under
the teeth, and preferably buy
replacement clips ahead of time in
case of breakage.
Close-up of the clip holding the peg on

the armrest to the new bracket.

The armrest and armrest bracket latched

in place.
Close-up of bracket in place with latch

(out of view on back of bracket) engaged
over brace on seatback.
The finished product!
Armrest removed and ski sack extended

into passenger compartment.

Note the two round magnets at the

bottom of the ski sack cover, which
stick to the ceiling of the trunk when
the cover is open.
Happy skiing!

18. Rear Headrests
An almost-essential add-on!
Some European E34s were fitted with rear seat headrests. Ive never
heard of a U.S. E34 with them from the factory, but the good news is
that the identical parts were used on U.S. E32s (the earliest E32s used Project Profile
an incompatible design). To me, the E34, and most other modern
cars, look unbalanced without the rear headrests not to mention the
Coolness: & & &
danger that the glaring omission poses to the necks of rear seat Utility:
occupants in a high-speed rear-end collision. Difficulty: (manual)
(power)
Some of the E32 headrests were motorized, which makes a Time: (manual)
particularly fun retrofit. The installation descriptions below first cover (power)
the non-powered, then the powered, versions.
Cost: s (manual)
sss (power)
Holes are pre-cut in the sheet metal and seat foam for the headrest
brackets and attaching screws, so the non-powered job is pretty easy.
The installation does involve cutting a couple of slits in the leather on the rear seats seatbacks, so this is a
one-way retrofit.
Parts
Non-powered
Rear headrest get from a junkyard; used price with covers 2 52 20 8 148 402 $20
and brackets
Cover goes up inside headrest; light silver gray 2 52 20 8 116 401 $17
Cover goes between headrest itself and seat top; 2 52 20 8 116 422 $15
light silver gray
Cover rests on top of seat; light silver gray 2 52 20 8 116 434 $11
bracket to hold headrest 1 ea. 52 20 8 102 717 $21
Guide
and -718
Screw attaches bracket to speednut/bulkhead 6 07 11 9 916 939 <$1
Speed nut goes on trunk bulkhead behind seatback 2 07 12 9 925 735 <$1
Powered
Motor 2 52 20 8 181 160 ~$160
Control module 1 61 31 1 378 639 ~$100
Switch 2 61 13 1 379 078 ~$36
Switch trim light silver grey 2 52 20 8 140 438 ~$10
has a switch for headrest operation 1 ea. 72 11 8 107 607 ~$38
Seatbelt latch
and -608
Wiring wiring harness 1 61 12 8 355 184 ~$72
this alternative harness from e32s works, 1 8 350 728
though seat heating connectors might need
changing
Wiring smaller harness for underside of seat base 1 61 12 1 382 636 ~$160
Relay yellow 1 61 31 1 378 301 ~$10
Additional cost to $830
power (new):
Additional cost to $200
power (used):
Einbauanleitung
Rear head restraints for BMW 5 Series (E34), 8/90, 01 29 9 783 899 (covers non-powered only)

Manual Headrests
Installation
Steps include:
1. Remove rear seat base

2. Detach rear seatback
3. Remove insulation, punch out bulkhead holes, and install speed nuts
4. Attach headrest brackets
5. Re-attach seatback, insert trim pieces and headrests
Step 1. Remove rear seat base

Remove the rear seat bottom. It needs to come off only to access the seatback nuts. Simply pull straight up,
very hard if necessary, on the front of the seat, at the middle of the left seat portion and the middle of the right
seat portion.
There are some strong steel bar

springs that hold the seat down,
and the pulling must pinch the
springs inward to let them pass
through the slots theyre in. The
accompanying picture shows the
two brackets holding the springs
the springs stick out left and right
from the brackets.
Securing springs are in the tabs

sticking out a couple of inches from
the bottom of the seat (in this picture
theyre now pointing toward the front
headrests).
To remove the seatback, start by

unscrewing the nuts behind the
center armrest.
A black plastic stud nut securing the

backrest is in the middle of the picture
(to the right of the black push-button).
The armrest has been removed in this
picture.

Rear Headrests E34 Factory Options Guide
Then remove the nuts at the side of

the backrest.
View is looking down, toward the left

rear of the car notice the outboard
seatbelt socket with red pushbutton at
the right. Wrench is holding down the
insulation flap that normally covers the
stud nut, and is pointing toward the nut.
Step 2. Detach rear seatback

Detach the seatbelt covers.
In the picture you can see the teeth on

tabs sticking up, on both sides of the
center hole, that hold the covers in place.
Note that these covers can crack fairly
easily, perhaps because of their frequent
exposure to the sun.
Bring the seatback up and forward,

lifting the side and center retaining
bars over the metal bulkhead behind
the seatback. The seatbelts can stay
in place.
The bent bars on the sides of the

seatback hook over an edge on the
bulkhead behind the seat. Note at top
right the cutout in the foam thats
where a bracket for the headrest will fit
when the bracket is attached to the rear
bulkhead.

This shows how the brackets lie in the

seatback foam once they are attached
to the bulkhead and the seatback is
put back in place.
The short black metal flange, close to

the top of the seatback, hooks over the
metal bulkhead behind the seat.
Step 3. Remove insulation,

punch out bulkhead holes,
and install speed nuts
Remove several bits of the
insulation that is attached to the
bulkhead. Cut along the
perforations in order to access the
three holes two for the screws
and one for the speed nut for
each bracket. (Its not clear why a
speed nut was used in one case
but not the other two.) Punch out
the rectangles, and insert the
speed nuts so that their screwholes
match up with the screwholes in
the sheet metal.
Right side of the bulkhead behind the seatback. In this picture the rectangle to be punched out is next to, and in this view to
the upper right of another rectangle in which you just might see the round screwhole. Seatbelt reel is at top of picture.

Left-side mounting area showing the

speed nut (silver rectangle) in place for
the lower bracket screw.
Step 4. Attach headrest

brackets
The one complexity in this
installation was the presence of an
electronics box where one of the
brackets goes. I believe the box
was for the factory mobile phone,
so, in the likely event you dont
use that phone, the box can be
removed. If you want to leave it,
the bracket fit over the box pretty
well, but a little bending of metal
had to be done.
Left headrest bracket attached to the
bulkhead on top of the mobile phone
module. One of the attaching screws is
visible to the right of the bracket.
While youre at it, remove the cell

phone battery lots of unneeded
weight!

Right bracket in place.
Put the seatback in place and

carefully locate where to make
cuts in the leather for the
headrests flat shaft and a trim
plastic screw on either side. Hold
the lower trim piece where it will
be inserted and mark the leather.
You can also feel for the metal
bracket slot and holes at the top
of the seat through the leather. Do
this all very carefully because if
you cut in the wrong place, it will
show. Cut small holes/slits at first,
and keep checking them as you
expand them.
The trim piece in front covers the
leather on top of the seat. The long
black plastic screws have teeth on
them that engage with the bracket
when inserted and rotated 90.
Step 5. Re-attach seatback, insert trim pieces and headrests.

Re-secure the seatback, and install the lower trim cover plates, turning the black-plastic slotted heads to lock
the trim in place. Put the remaining two trim pieces in place on each headrest, and slide the headrests down
firmly.
Done, wunderbar! See the end of the chapter for a picture of the final product.

Power Headrests
Description
Adding power to the rear headrests is not too complicated, everything is bolt-in assuming the underlying
wiring is present. There appears to be no EBA on electric rear headrests, although there is one on the manual
ones.
To find out if the underlying wiring is present, look underneath the rear seat base, on the front wall of the
seatwell, to the right front of the rear fuse box. Hopefully there is a white four-pin connector there, (X337 on
an E32) piggybacked on top of a black six-pin connector (the latter is for the electric sunshade).
Vehicle wiring for the headrests

terminates at the white 4-pin connector
in the middle of the picture.
The headrest supplementary wiring harness, which connects the power headrest system components to each
other, attaches to this underlying wiring. If the underlying wiring is not present, consult the factory wiring
diagrams (including E32 ones) to install appropriate new wiring only three wires come to the connector, so
not too much is involved.
The following need to be added to power the manual headrests:

motors,
control module,
relay,
replacement seatbelt latches (somewhat optional),
switches, and
wiring harnesses.
The seatbelt latches have an internal switch that indicates to the control module whether a seat is occupied
(i.e., seatbelt is latched), and if so the module automatically raises the headrest; when a seat is unoccupied, the
control module lowers the headrest to improve the drivers rear view.
The two wiring harnesses are illustrated in the next picture. The shorter one, on the right, is attached to the
bottom of the seat base.

Rear headrest and seat-heating harnesses, with the attachment points for each connector labeled.
Note that the illustration of the E34 layout and connectors in the ETK appears to be a modification of the E32
illustration, and does not give an entirely accurate picture of the E34 setup. If youre getting parts from a
donor E32, bear in mind that there were two wiring set-ups on the E32, one for the (-iL) cars with individually-
adjustable rear seats, and one for those with the fixed one-piece bench (-iL or -i). (Yes, the -iLs had so much
room in the rear that the seatbacks could be reclined and the seat bases moved forward!)
The switches for the E32 rear

reclining seats included a headrest
raise/lower function that would
adjust the headrest height and
override the automatic control.
They were on the front corners of
the seat base. The E34 switch is in
a similar location, but of course
only includes the manual headrest
raise/lower function.
E32 switches for individually-adjustable

rear seats. Headrest switch is to the
right in this view. This set-up never
appears on the E34 not enough room
to slide the rear seat forward! (Seat
base in this picture is raised up out of
its normal position.)

Switches for the headrests on the E34 go to a similar location at the front corners of the rear seat base cushion,
on a small trim plate.35
The system requires a relay; unfortunately I could not confirm which part number it is. In certain E32 setups,
the relay is a yellow one, part number 61 31 1 378 301. One source lists 61 36 1 389 105. I used a Bosch
orange relay with a standard basic relay circuit, Bosch part number 033 201 4458.
Installation
The steps are:
1. Take off seat base and seatback
2. Lay wiring harness
3. Install switches
4. Attach motors and brackets
5. Replace seatbelt latches
6. Affix relay holder
7. Install control module connector
8. Make connections
9. Reinstall seatback, headrests, seat base
Step 1. Take off seat base and seatback

See earlier in this chapter. Disconnect the battery.
Step 2. Lay wiring harness

Lift up rear passenger footwell
carpet to access the wire channels.
The carpet can usually be slid out
from under the sill trims and b-pillar
trims, but if desired the trims can be
removed first. Lever them out
firmly. Removing the front seats can
help to pull back the carpet more
easily, but it is not necessary. If
removed, the seat bolt torque is 44
N-m, for reinstallation.
Sill trim underside, showing the clips.
35
Potentially the switches could also be placed in the rear end of the center console, above the driveshaft tunnel and below
the console vents (wiring length may need to be adjusted). A substitute trim plate for the rear of the console (originally
available for the E32 or M5) neatly holds two switches (left and right controls plus a rear power outlet; see that chapter),
so either the rear electric headrest controls or the rear seat heater switches can be installed there. But it might be useful to
have the electric seat heater switches in the intended center console spot, such that their illumination reminds the
occupants the heaters are on, so best to locate the headrest switches there only if there is no seat heating. If the old console
trim plate had the alarm LED and glass breakage sensor in it, its best to relocate them forward to the alternate (and
superior) position on the dash using the extension wires in the relevant kit (see the section in the Other Options chapter).

Remove the battery negative-disconnect covers (did you

know thats what that was for you dont need to take
off the rear seat base to disconnect the battery!).
Battery-disconnect covers in right rear footwell.
Take out the white and black plastic rivets, and take off
the wire channel covers in the footwell. In my case, the
pins in the white rivets could be levered out, carefully,
without too much difficulty, but some of the black ones
were impossible. Even mangling some of the pins in
trying to lever or pull them out did not loosen them,
and after an hours work I had to remove the battery
and (literally) hammer the pins out from inside the
seatwell frustrating that such a simple piece could
work so poorly. When I reinstalled new pins, I cut
substantial portions of the pin shafts away to reduce the
diameter so the pins wouldnt bind so much.
Two plastic rivets are at top edge of wire channels (center and
upper left of the picture.
Upper plastic rivet. Pin is pulled out part way to release rivet.
Thick wire-securing pins at front top left and right of seatwell

pull out of rubber grommets.

Lay wiring harness alongside the
large existing wiring loom covered
by the channels, and lay the
relevant branches up towards the
headrest brackets, past the seatbelt
latches.
Harness in left-side footwell, looking

toward transmission tunnel.
Harness in right-side footwell.
Carefully maneuver the connectors

that go to the vehicle harness, seat-
base harness, control module, relay,
and the ground wire terminal
through the small hole at the
bottom of the seatwell front wall,
near the transmission tunnel.
Wire access hole from left footwell to

the area under the rear seat base.

Take off the rear portion of the center

console between the front seats (see
chapter on electric sunshade). Pull
back the carpet over the transmission
tunnel, and unscrew the thick wire
channel cover that lies along the top.
Wire cover along transmission tunnel.
Slide the section of the wiring harness

leading to the seat-heating switches
underneath the carpet, alongside the
other wires, forward to the center
console.
Route of the wires going forward to the

center console.
If installing the electric rear sunshade,

also insert the wire leading to its switch
along the same path. (Now is also a
good time to put in the rear console
power outlet wiring, which goes along
the same route.) Then reinstall the
console and the thick wire channel
cover. Connect the wires to the electric
headrest switch in its tray on the top of
the console, and to the seat-heating
switches and power-outlet socket on the
back side of the console pop-out panel.
Re-mount the console and panel.
Three harnesses installed along transmission

tunnel: seat-heating switches (left), rear
power outlet (four wires at center), and
electric shade (right).

Zip tie everything once all the

alignment and spacing is checked.
A zip-tie location, at the right seatback

behind the right door opening.
Step 3. Install switches

Look for the rectangular access holes
in the stiff black shell on the bottom
of the seat base, near the front
corners.
Look down into the holes and you

will be able to see a corresponding
hole in the same black shell along the
side of the seat. Use a probe to
indicate where the latter hole is,
roughly, then cut out a matching hole
in both the leather and the foam
underneath it.
Cut a small hole to start, then expand

it. Check the angles being cut
through the thick foam, since theres
some distance between the leather
and the hole in the shell that the trim
will clip on to.

Install the switch trim piece, latching its

hook ridges over the stiff black seat
material hook one side over, then
gently but firmly push the trim
sideways until the other side can be
inserted. Dont break the trim. Its a
tight fit, which is good so that the trim
doesnt pop out later on.
Run the switch connector on the seat

base harness out to the access holes,
attaching the harness by pressing the
wire- and connector-holding clips into
the matching pre-cut holes on the
underside of the seat base.
Clip that holds zip-tie, which in turn secures

harness.

Finally, connect the connector to the rear

headrest switch and install the switch into
the trim piece. I found it easiest to install
the switch first, then maneuver the
connector into position through the
access hole and lever it on.
The solid white arrow on the switch

points up when the seat is in the car.36
Headrest switch installed. Seat is still upside

down.
Step 4. Install motors and

brackets
Bolt the motors to the headrest brackets,
and attach the brackets to the bulkhead.
Note the brackets are different, left and
right.
Headrest motors; at right, installed on bracket.
36
That is, according to brochure photographs, consistency with the window switches, and my installation. However, a
German owners manual shows one with the solid white arrow pointing down was switch rocker itself upside-down?

Be very careful, dont overtighten the

sheet metal screws when installing the
brackets to the bulkhead, the bolt holes
strip very easily! If a bolt hole does
strip, it should be possible to rescue the
situation by using a speed nut as is
already done for the lowest of the
three holes after cutting an insertion
hole for it.
Once the bolts are in, clip on the motor

wires using a clip on the side of the
bracket.
Motor connector-securing clip.
Step 5. Replace seatbelt latches

The new latches have a wire connector
on the bottom. Note that some E32
latches are very similar, and will just
fit, but not too well, and will push
forward on the seat base more.
New latch is on the right. Note the black

wire connector on the right one.

Torque is 48 N-m / 35 lb-ft.
Order of latch-attaching parts. Note the

dimple on the spacer plate that goes in the
hole on the flange attached to the latch.
Step 6. Affix relay holder

Slide the relay holder onto a rear fuse-
box station. If its not already used,
there is a convenient one on the right
side of the box, toward the front.
Step 7. Install control module

connector
Unscrew nut holding the rear fuse box
in, on the rear side of the box, and
unlatch the two latches at the top front.
Looking down on rear relay / rear fuse

box, front of car is to the right. Nut is in
center of picture.
Unscrew the three screws holding on

the top, lifting out the box slightly to
access the left screw.
Front left screw.

Front right screw.
Rear screw.
The control module goes under the

front right slot, as the module is
facing in the car.
Front of the car is to the left in the

picture, so correct slot is below the
orange relay. (FYI, on some E32s, at
least, the next slot down in the picture is
for the Park Distance Control module,
and the next one after that, just out of
the picture, is for the early infrared
remote locking module.)

Snap in the wire connector

underneath the box, pointing up.
Gray module connector snapped in

place.
Step 8. Make connections

Connect the wiring connectors on
the harness to the:
headrest motors,
seatbelt latches,
relay,

vehicle harness,
Note that a black connector is plugged into

a white connector here, presumably since
the supplementary harness was not
technically for this particular specification of
car. Normally the factory uses matching
colors for each connection.
control module,
Top of the black control module is visible at

the center of the picture, to the upper left of
the orange relay.
and connect the ground wire to a

suitable ground terminal stud;
Ground terminals in the rear seatwell, on

the left side of the transmission tunnel.
Others are available.

finally, connect the main harness to

the seat base harness.
Hookup battery power and test

operation. The system should work as
follows: When you turn the ignition on,
the headrests should rise if their
respective seatbelts are fastened. If not,
they should stay (or move) down.
Using the switch on the front corner of
the seat should override the automatic
positioning and allow the headrest to
be put in any desired position.
Normally the headrests will go down
when you turn off the ignition.
Connector on the harness attached to the

underside of the seat base.
Step 9. Reinstall seatback,

headrests, seat base
Attach trims for seatbelt latches,
reinstall seatback, push on seatbelt
trims on top of seatback, insert
headrests (dont push down too hard),
and reinstall seat base (dont forget to
put the center lap belt latch on top
first).
Then ... youre done! Congratulations,

that was a big job.
Motorized headrests adjusted with the

manual switch to maximum height on cars
left, and to minimum on cars right.


19. Rear Reading Lights
Another simple and rewarding retrofit
Most of the U.S. E34s came with a basic rear interior light on the c-pillars
that could not be switched on independently of the other interior lights.
This creates a real problem when rear seat passengers try to read at night, Project Profile
because the whole interior has to be lit up. This is distracting for the driver,
particularly because of the front interior light by the rearview mirror, and
Coolness: &&
upsets night vision. Utility:
Difficulty:

The factory, however, made another rear interior light unit that has a Time:

separately-switched true reading light. No doubt the accounting or Cost:
s
marketing department made the case, but one would have thought that
the cost of carrying separate parts would outweigh the small savings of
omitting a second light and a couple of contacts (the wiring for both bulb circuits in the dual unit appears to be
in all of the U.S. cars, whether or not they have the dual light unit installed), and would outweigh the benefit
of creating model separation from the E32, which had the dual lights, given what a relatively minor matter it is.
Anyway, this lacuna is easily remedied with purchase of the appropriate dual-light units. The one trick is that
there were at least three different wiring connectors on the assemblies: a single white connector up to 7/89
(perhaps European models only), two white connectors up to 9/91, and a single rectangular black connector
after 9/91.
Early, mid, and late dual rear interior light units showing the different wiring connectors.
Note that theres a retrofit EBA for the front separately-switched reading light panel, too, but U.S. cars always
had it already.
Parts
Interior rear lights with reading lamp this part number fits the last of the three 1 ea. 63 31 8 355 037 $44
different connectors and -038
(light silver gray)
used cost $5
Einbauanleitung
Reading lamp, 12/89, 01 29 9 783 023 (rear lights)

Reading light is the circular one.
Installation
The installation is plug-and-play. Pull off the weatherstrip around the door opening near the c-pillar trim
panels. The weatherstrip is on tightly, but theres no glue.
Take off the c-pillar panels by pulling

straight out at the corners, in order to
slide the tabs on the panel out of
clamping clips in the pillar.
The left c-pillar panel and the back of the

rear reading light. At the top center of the
photo can be discerned one of the flat
black tabs that are gripped, by metal clips
in the c-pillar itself, to hold the panel on.
Disconnect the old lights wire connector and remove it from the panel. Install and connect the new light.
Reinstall the c-pillar panels.
Enjoy happy passengers and glare-free driving.

20. Rear Window Sunshade
Not too necessary, but cool . . .
This came in two versions, manual and electric. For the electric one, a
potential problem with stripping gears has been noted on the internet. At Project Profile
the end of this chapter is a special supplement showing how to fix the
problem. The installation description here covers the electric version. The Coolness: &&&&
manual installation is similar, but obviously a lot simpler, and is covered in Utility:
its own EBA. Difficulty:
Time:
The electric shade switch goes on the little tray at the rear of the center
Cost: sss
console, between the front seatbacks, slightly reducing the size of the tray.
Parts
Electric sun blind supplementary set includes supplementary wire harness 1 51 46 9 060 596 $562.50
Wiring, sun blind on the basis of the ETK picture, this 1 61 12 9 402 134
number is for the adapter harness only
used if car is not pre-wired
Parcel shelf with third brake light 1 51 46 8 137 884 $159
(light silver gray)
Switch covering goes on top rear of center console 1 51 16 8 138 420 $51.09
Circlip for switch covering 2 72 16 1 858 017 < $1
Einbauanleitung
Electric Roller Sun Blind for Rear Window, 4/93, 01 29 9 783 611
Installation Instructions for Roller Sun Blind, 11/92, 01 29 9 786 640 (manual)
Electric Shade Installation

Note that a small second, adapter
wire loom may be needed if the car
does not have the appropriate
vehicle wiring already installed. If
the wiring is already installed, part
of it will be underneath the rear
seat base, on the front wall of the
seatwell, to the right front of the
rear fuse box. Look for a black six-
pin connector, X269, probably
behind a white four-pin connector
(the latter is for rear seat
heating/headrests).
Black connector where vehicle wiring

for the sunshade terminates, on front
wall of rear seatwell. (Supplementary
harness has already been connected;
white connector for rear seat headrests
and heating has been unclipped.)
Even if the underlying vehicle wiring is not present, the EBA gives instructions on how to modify the existing
wiring so the supplementary harnesses can be attached. That modification is easiest if the full accessory kit

from the factory is available, since it has the second supplementary harness with the appropriate connectors
and jumper wires included.
Overview
The steps are as follows:
1. Take seat base and seatback off

2. Take off rear center console
3. Move door seal and take c-pillar trims off
4. Take parcel shelf off, and transfer speaker covers and center seatbelt holder
5. Lay shade wiring
6. Cut holes for shade switch; install cover, console, and switch
7. Snap metal brackets into parcel shelf
8. Plug in control module connectors, and mount module
9. Slide shade into shelf, and attach wiring
10. Install shelf
11. Connect shade wiring, attach ground, and add fuse
12. Test shade and measure its location per EBA
Step 1. Take seat base and

seatback off
See chapter on rear headrests.
Disconnect battery.
Step 2. Take off rear center

console
Pull out the power outlet plate firmly
from the bottom.
Note large tabs at the bottom of the

plate. These need to be popped over a
lip to release the plate.

Rear Window Sunshade E34 Factory Options Guide
Screws behind rear power outlet plate.

Regular screwdriver wont reach them
well.
Push rear of handbrake gaiter assembly

forward gently, and up, to release this
catch.
These two tabs hold the gaiter on at the

front.

Rear console screw underneath the gaiter.
Rear console screw cap in storage bin.

Could also use a pick to pull it off.
Screw that is underneath the cap.

Rear console released. Slide out large

securing tabs, for example the hard-to-see
one on the consoles lower right edge.
Step 3. Move door seal out of

the way, and take c-pillar trims off
See chapter on rear reading lights.
Step 4. Take parcel shelf off,

and transfer speaker covers and
center seatbelt holder
Seatbelt holder is held on by a hard-to-

grasp plastic wingnut. It is shown here
removed and lying on the underside of the
shelf.
Speaker cover in place. After this much

sunbathing over the years, the foam
crumbles to the touch.

Lugs that hold speaker covers in place.
Step 5. Lay shade wiring

Note that the wiring from the vehicle wiring connection comes out through a small low hole on the right side
of the front wall of the left rear seatwell, rather than through the plastic wire channels all the way at the left side
of the car. The wiring then runs forward atop the transmission tunnel and also along the right seatwell.
Step 6. Cut holes for shade switch; install cover, console, and switch
Drill holes for the studs of the add-on

switch plate, which serves as the new
storage tray.

This is the underneath of the rear console.

The tan rectangular area within the black
plastic (to the lower right of the oval air
vent in the picture) is where the cut-out
hole for the sunshade switch goes, so its
easiest to cut through from this side. As
with many items, BMW designed the
console prepared for accessory installation.
The switch cut-out viewed from the top.

The pre-cut hole in the underlying plastic
doesnt actually go as far towards the rear
as the cut dimensions in the EBA show.
You dont want, or need, to cut as far as
the EBA says, so just cut to the edge of the
plastic hole. The partial cut line that is not
too visible in the picture was cut from the
top before I realized the plastic hole was
pre-cut underneath.
Install the trim plate using the spring

clip washers. Reinstall the console,
bringing the switch wire up through the
switch hole. Connect the wiring to the
switch, and then install the switch.
The switch and switch plate test-installed in

the old bay.

Step 7. Snap metal brackets

into parcel shelf
These were extremely tight, I ended up
knocking them in with a hammer.
When installed in the car, the bracket
will go with the two prongs up and the
one prong down, so make sure you
put them in correctly getting them
out would be even harder than getting
them in.
On the old parcel shelf, the center clips

were different than the outer clips; on
the new parcel shelf, all four of the
clips were the same.
New shelf for sunblind is to upper left,

showing two of the brackets (one just below
the black motor, the other at the top center
of the picture). Note slightly different shape
(and length) of center brackets on old shelf
at lower right.
With the parcel shelf off, if appropriate take

the opportunity to cut away the perforated
hole for a child-seat-tether bracket, whose
bolt goes in the threaded bolt hole.

The two center clips attach to flanges

on the third-brake-light housing.
Flange on third-brake-light housing that

secures one of the center shelf brackets.
Step 8. Plug in control module

connectors, and mount module
Step 9. Slide shade into shelf

and attach wiring
Do not overtighten the nuts on the
fixed shade bolts! Two of my bolts
loosened in their shelf mountings, even
with only moderate tightening,
rendering them useless.
Sliding in the shade.

The gold-colored brace towards the

center of the picture is one of three that
position the rear of the parcel shelf
relative to the shade mechanism.
A rare note here: the EBA didnt match up with the parts I had. The EBA calls for the shade to be located
300mm from the front edge of the shelf. This was not possible with my shade given the length of the bolt slots
on the shade. The closest I could get at first was about 305mm.
Nor did the slots allow use of the method mentioned in the EBA to change the angle of the shade. There
seemed to have been an intention to use the front-to-back location of the shade to raise/lower the back of the
shade, by means of an angled portion of the shade metal (you probably have to look at it to see how that
geometry works). Thus raising/lowering the back of the shade would in theory obtain the correct shade angle
and shade contact point on the rear window when the shade was extended. But its not clear how the nuts
were supposed to be tightened onto the resulting non-flat shade surface.
I drilled out longer slots to get the shade closer to the specified 300mm, but in that position the shade was too
far forward in the car, and the retracting arms caught the shade material against the front of the shade slot,
stalling the motor. Locating the shade further back pretty much solved that problem, but my shade did not
contact the window when the top of the shade is 1015cm from the side as specified. Note that there appears
to be a mistranslation in the EBA; the English version implies 1015 cm from the top edge of the window, but
from the top side of the window makes more sense. Since I couldnt adjust the angle, my shade rested just off
the window when opened, rather than touching it. But it didnt bang about when driving.
Shade bolted down along its front side.

Shade in place.
Shade harness zip tied at three points. Per

EBA, tape goes to the left.
Step 10. Install shelf

Pay attention to your hand cleanliness
while installing the shelf, the area
underneath the shelf can be quite
dusty and dirty, and you can sully the
shelf top if using your hand to push in
the shelf along the top.
Step 11. Connect the shade

wiring, attach ground, and add
fuse
Note that the white 4-pin connector on
the supplementary harness (the
harness that goes between the wiring
on the shade and the vehicle wiring
harness) connects to the similar white
connector on the wiring of the shade
itself, not to the white 4-pin connector
(for the rear headrests / seat heating)
that happens to lie atop the black 6-pin connector (for the shade) near the rear fuse box.
Step 12. Test shade and measure its location per EBA
Connect the battery (run the engine
if you move the shade more than a
couple times so as to not run down
the battery) and give it a whirl. See
where and whether the shade
contacts the glass, per the EBA (see
above regarding the 1015 cm
specification). Note the rubber
wheels on the end of the shade that
let the shade roll along the window
(make sure you have them!).
Shade installed; in lowered position.
Shade in raised position.
Reinstall c-pillar trims, door seal seatback, and seat base.
An awesome add-on, very satisfying!
Bonus: Electric Shade Repair
Unfortunately, the design or material of the gear train was faulty, and the sunshades can all too often strip a
gearwheel. But fortunately, repair is possible; it is easy with an aftermarket part; and is only a little harder with
refurbishment of the original part. The problem is common enough that copies of the troubled gear were sold
on eBay.de, made out of steel rather than the original aluminum, and also a write-up is available on the web
showing how to alter the original gear to make it work (using undamaged sections of the gearwheels
circumference that are not initially in use).

Repair is as follows.
Gently lever the toothed washers off

the pins connecting the crank arms
and the shade arm pivots.
Unscrew the bolt holding the crank

arm wheel (2.5mm allen) and remove
the wheel and crank arms.
Disconnect the motor wire connector

from the control unit.

Remove the wire tie.
For reinstallation purposes, mark the

edges of the three phillips screws
holding the motor to the shade
frame; unscrew the screws; and
remove the motor. (You actually can
leave the motor in place on the
shade frame if you like, but it makes
things marginally more accessible to
take it off.)
The red paint marks are from the factory,

possibly to show loosening of the screws.
Add other marks that better show the
left-right position of the screws in the
slots.
Remove the spring stop bolt (3mm

allen) on the end of the circular
gearbox (the spring shouldnt uncoil
yet, it and the gearwheel are
prevented from turning by the rest of
the gears in the geartrain).

The gearspring in the gearbox is under

tension and is fairly strong, so wear
eye protection, and in the next step
hold down the main wheel and the
spring underneath it so that they dont
fly up: remove the three bolts (2.5mm
allen) while holding on the cover of the
gearbox, and gently lever off the cover
while holding the main gear in place.
Inside the gearbox. Normally keep a hand

on the large gear in case it wants to fly out.
Note the spring, visible through the round
hole in the large gear (shiny steel-colored).
You may want to mark the rotational
positions of the gears, it could be useful for
reassembly, though I did not need it. Also
note the axle pin in the smaller brown gear
it is nicely lubricated and can fall out.
Put the gearbox in a vise, put a ring

wrench or adjustable wrench on the
hex shaft of the main gearwheel and
put a little pressure on the shaft
clockwise to release the gear pressure
on the smaller brown intermediate
gear, and lever/wiggle up the
intermediate gear, gently. It resisted
coming out in my case, but may try to
pop out in an uncontrolled way. Then
let the wrench and spring unwind
slowly anticlockwise.
Its probably hard to do, but dont crush

the gearbox in the vise, theres very little
clearance between the gear and the casing.

Large and small gearwheels removed.
If using a new gear, transfer the axle

pin to the new one.
Gear axle pin being transferred out of old

gear (shown) to new one.
Transfer the spring, making sure to preserve the springs correct orientation. It can easily be installed upside-
down. (Ask me how I know.) If so, youll probably know it when the assembled shade is operated and extends
slowly and only part way, because the motor is fighting the spring, and then retracts double-speed, because
the motor is getting an abnormal boost from the spring. Through my own experience, I believe the otherwise
superb instructions and helpful drawing at the evansweb.info website are actually incorrect when it comes to
the orientation of the spring. It is easy to get the orientation wrong because for some reason the gear design
has a neat notch for the spring on both sides of the spring stop.
Think through everything as youre doing it, to see how things move and interact. The descriptions here can
be hard to follow without seeing the parts in front of you. It should be clearer once you do have them.

The correct orientation of the spring in

my case is shown in the picture: the
spring should compress when the wheel
rotates clockwise when looking down
on the wheel in its gearbox.
Original wheel on the right, aftermarket

substitute on left.
Its helpful for a later step to mark on the top (hex-bolt-side) of the gearwheel where the cut-out portion of the
teeth are.
If refashioning the old gear rather than using a replacement one, do so according to the instructions at
evansweb.info.
Reinstall everything.
Getting the new gear and spring in place in the gearbox is a little difficult because of the springs positioning.
Try moving/squeezing the spring through the hole in the gear when the wheel is in the gearbox and ready to
slide into final position.
Once the wheel is in place, use a wrench on the hex axle again to rotate it clockwise until the cut-away portion
of the teeth clears the stop-screw location, hold it there and screw in the stop screw. For your reference, note
that this end stop position is actually close to the extended position of the shade and gearwheel. The wheel
will rotate further clockwise up to, or close to, the other end stop in order to be in the retracted position.
Reinstall the smaller brown gear, lining up the various teeth and the rack and pinion, then put on the gearbox
cover. Be careful with the three small allen-head bolts, one of mine was stripped.
Getting the smaller gear axle pin to line up with its socket in the gearbox cover when putting on the cover can
also be a little tricky it can help to move the main gear around a bit at the same time, or nudge the pin into
place with a thin screwdriver while pushing down on the cover.
Reinstall the motor on the shade frame.

Re-zip-tie the motor wires. Note white

marking, where zip-tie goes.
Because of the relative positions of the various end stops, crank arms, and crank arm wheel, I found it a little
difficult to mount up the crank arms on their pivot pins. The following is one unobvious way to do it: before
putting the crank arm wheel on the hex axle, put the crank arms on the pivot pins the crank wheel should be
above/near, but not on, the hex axle end; then manually pull the shade roughly half way up; apply battery
power to the motor leads, rotating the still-free hex axle (still not mated into the crank wheel) clockwise; then
place the crank wheel on the hex axle end and slowly rotate the hex axle end either direction until the hex
socket on the crank wheel and the hex axle line up and the crank wheel falls into place. Be careful not to short
your battery/ground leads while applying power to the motor wires. Screw in the countersunk allen head bolt.
I used a little Wrth Sebasto 2000 lube in the channels at the top of the shade where the sliding arms go.
Dont get it on the shade material itself, or put so much that it later drips onto the material. The shade should
now extend quietly, smoothly, and moderately quickly up and down.
Presto, all done!

21. CD Player and Cover
Plug-and-play, with a few version
complications Project Profile
Many U.S. models are pre-wired for the CD player if so there should be
a black token indicating such, attached to the carpeting on the right side of Coolness: &
the trunk. Utility:
Difficulty:
Time:
Cost: ss
Parts
CD changer Pioneer CDX-M91ZBM or CDX-M83ZBM 1 82 11 1 467 700 $811
Alpine TR-1600 or TR-1008 1 82 11 1 468 014 $557
used price ~$100
Mounting parts set 1 65 12 9 059 415 $26
Cover, CD changer Pioneer a nice fabric case that matches the trunk trim 1 82 11 1 468 239 $85
fabric; used price; probably no longer available
new
Cover kit Pioneer 1 82 11 1 468 761
Cover, CD changer Alpine 1 82 11 1 466 580
CD magazine, 6-CD Pioneer holds 6 CDs 65 12 8 355 885 $10
Einbauanleitung
None
Installation
The headunit-to-CD-player cable comes through the right side of the bulkhead at the front of the trunk, and
lies behind the trunk trim. The CD player usually mounts to the left ceiling of the trunk (or potentially on the
left side wall of the trunk, particularly for the M5). In my case the changer was attached in a curiously
complicated arrangement using no less than three mounting plates.
The CD connectors changed over time, so not all changers are compatible with all head units or vehicle
models. According to a reliable source, after early 91 both trunk CD players either from Alpine or from
Pioneer are compatible with either head unit (Pioneer KE-83ZBM or Alpine CM5908). Before that, however,
the player and head unit must match manufacturers. The Pioneer CD player is distinguished by a magazine
door that folds down, whereas the Alpine units door slides to the side. The manufacturer and version of the
head unit is discoverable on the unit display by pressing the "-" (the Mode minus key) and "PROG" buttons
simultaneously.
Note that a variety of different official factory radios from this era, including some later 1990s ones, can be
swapped in. The connector is usually the same. Some models only issued to Europe will also work. I switched
in a model that has the handy RDS feature (text display of station / song name, etc.). That installation was
plug-and-play.
Once the CD player is bolted in place as shown below, connect the wire connectors, load some CDs in the
magazine (upside-down for some magazines), and the player should be ready-to-go.

The Pioneer CDX-M90 changer

attached to the left ceiling of the trunk.
Note the three mounting plates: the
greenish one on the changer, a black
one in the middle secured in part by
the prominent bolt in the picture, and
a top black one along the trunk ceiling.
Wide tab at center rear of the top plate

fits into a slot on the uppermost plate
that is shown in a picture below.
Three plates again; topmost one bolts

to the ceiling of the trunk.

CD Player E34 Factory Options Guide
Plate held on by three brass-colored

bolts in pre-threaded holes. Wire-
holding clips go in the tab sticking down
at the back.
Door flips down, so this is a Pioneer.

Six-disc magazine is visible inside the
changer.
The Optional Cover

Nifty fabric covers were available for the units, significantly improving the look and neatness of the trunk.
Different ones are needed for Pioneer and Alpine since the changers themselves are different shapes. The
covers are no longer available as separate order pieces. They are moderately, but not exceptionally, rare in the
used marketplace now.

Cover installed on CD changer.
Cover opens by pulling on the hook-

and-loop strap.
The rear of the cover is held on by the

elastic strap visible in the picture. It
simply goes over the top of the
changer/plate and attaches with a hook-
and-loop patch. Note the CD magazine
sitting in the tray at the bottom of the
cover. Two magazines will fit in the
tray. Perhaps the long hole visible in the
bottom of the cover is meant for sticking
in a finger to fishing out a magazine
from the back of the tray when the
cover is installed.

22. Trunk Storage Bins, Tray, Straps, Net, and Mat
Organizers and holders
A variety of storing, securing, and protecting accessories are available for
the trunk area. Project Profile
Coolness: &
Utility:
Difficulty:
Time:
Cost: sss (all)
Parts
Trunk storage bins 12 82 11 9 413 199 $49
Support tape rubber straps to hold down items in the trunk; fit into the 2 51 47 8 136 450 $4
socket holes in trunk carpeting
Trunk room net attaches to the pop-up rings on the trunk floor 1 51 47 2 263 168 $46
Trunk floor net judging by the picture in the parts catalog, this one fits into 1 51 47 2 237 812 $115
some kind of slots but the parts catalog is sometimes
inexact, using pictures from a different model
Trunk rubber mat has a lip to contain water and mud 1 82 11 9 413 394 $88
WeatherTech custom aftermarket version 1 40032 $110
Trunk nonskid mat no lip 1 82 12 9 413 180 $33
Wheel well tray goes inside the spare wheel 1 71 11 1 092 276 $13
Total cost: $226
Einbauanleitung
Stowage box, 1/89, 01 29 9 782 127
Bins
The trunk storage bins are containers with 34-tall sides similar to the permanent one at the right rear of the
trunk. They fit over included rails that secure to the side carpet, and can be taken on and off as needed. The
EBA shows a couple of locations for them, including at the left rear of the trunk and up against the front panel.
Trunk bin in one of two suggested

mounting locations.

The bin is shown here dismounted from

its attaching rail. The flap on the bin slips
behind the rail look closely for the
rectangular cutout on the bin that goes
over the screws on the rail. Bin may be
thus removed completely if extra space
in the trunk is needed.
Tray
BMW supplies a nifty tray that fits in
the spare wheel well, making use of
otherwise wasted space. The wheel is
turned outside-face down, but it
shouldnt get scratched because it
rests on the tire not the rim.
Trunk storage tray inserted in spare wheel

underneath trunk carpet.
Close up of the spare wheel holder held in

place with a wing nut, viewed through the
center of the storage tray. At top right is
the wheel center-cap remover, which
doubles as a trunk-floor support when it is
put on the spare tire bolt.

Trunk Storage E34 Factory Options Guide
Straps
Trunk tie-down straps support

tape.
Net
Close up of trunk net stanchion and hook.

Mats
This trunk mat is useful for muddy
and really wet stuff, since it has a
high lip. The mat is custom molded
to the E34 trunk. This particular
one is not a factory product, the
factory one is no longer available,
but it is so close to the original that
it may have been the OEM-
supplied item.
WeatherTech rubber mat.

23. Rear Fog Lights
Ought to be on the car
These are required in some parts of Europe where fog is extremely thick
more often than in the United States. They are very useful even in the Project Profile
United States, particular in highway rain, when cars and trucks kick up a
lot of spray. Too bad that, unlike for many options, the wiring is not Coolness: &&
already present. The U.S. light control module (LKM) does not seem to Utility:
have the required internal circuitry, either, so the installation here sets up a Difficulty:
separate circuit, in part. Time:
Cost: ss
Parts
Switch for rear (and front) fog lights 1 61 31 8 351 238 $26
Rear lights in trunk lid European light clusters with holes for fog lights 1 ea. 63 21 1 384 011 $20
(used) and -012
Bulb socket same as backup and brake bulb sockets 2 63 21 8 355 883 $5
Bulb same as backup, brake, blinker bulbs; 21W 2 63 21 7 160 790 $3
Instrument cluster bulb 1.2W 1 62 13 1 383 311 $1
Fuse with inline holder; 5 amp., 2 amp. optional $5
Wire 18 ga., 24 ga. $15
Wire connectors white 1-pin connector, for male pin (female shell), 2 61 13 1 378 466 $1
(used price) 2 61 13 1 378 461 $1
white 1-pin connector, for female pin
(black, blue connectors also available)
Wire contacts (depending on wire sizes used): ~$10
wire contact, round, female, 0.51.0 mm 2 61 13 1 376 202
wire contact, round, male, 0.51.5 mm 2 61 13 1 376 191
wire contact, round, female, 1.02.5 mm 3 61 13 1 376 204
wire contact, small square, female 1
relay contacts 4 61 13 1 370 691
ring terminal 0.351 mm 1 61 13 8 353 763
ring terminal 2.56 mm 1 61 13 1 388 431
Relay e.g., diode relay 1 61 36 1 391 397 $15
Total cost (new and used): $130
Einbauanleitung
None
Preparations
The U.S. assemblies have the right shape for the fog lights, but, unusually, are not pre-cut for the lights, nor
pre-wired.

European version for fog lights at top. On the

U.S. version, note the fog-light area, which
has the raised surface for the bulb holder, but
no pre-cut hole (or even cut lines).
At first I was planning to alter my existing inner taillight assemblies to accept the fog lights, but it looked quite
challenging to cut the required shape neatly in the tough plastic, so I decided to just obtain used assemblies
from Europe. I highly recommend doing so, since theyre cheap, and the installation will be stock. But if you
want, you can try altering U.S. ones cut holes in the appropriate locations on the back of the lenses for the
fog bulb holders, similar to the other existing holes, and from a junkyard get some of the rigid wires with their
contacts that slide onto the back of the lens assemblies; cut and splice the wires to mimic the Euro wiring,
including the common ground. If your European light assembly didnt come with them, or youre making your
own, also pick up some bulb holders same as the reverse light or brake light ones.
Since this is not the factory installation, there is no official relay specified, but various ones from the factory
should work. The simplest relay circuit is all that is needed. You can often check the relay circuit by looking on
the side of the relay, where a circuit diagram is sometimes embossed or printed. It has been suggested to use a
relay with a diode to prevent backward current flow and arcing, so you could look for a relay with a circuit
diagram showing a diode triangle on the appropriate wire.
Installation
The next diagram shows the circuit to be installed, using some existing wire connectors, but also running some
new wires.

Rear Fog Lights E34 Factory Options Guide
A non-factory rear fog-light circuit.
Disconnect the battery, take out the rear seat base and seatback. If not done already for some other job, open
up the plastic wire channels that run along the front and rear door sills on the left side of the car (see chapter
on memory seats or rear power outlet). Remove the pedal cover, lower dash-trim left panel around the
steering column, and dead pedal to access the under-dash wiring (see chapter on drivers glove box).

Wood trim removal: gently pry out the left

side with a screwdriver inserted behind.
Right side brace slides out when trim is
pulled out to the left and forward.
Take off the upper steering column

cover one screw-clip on the top,
locking pins connecting to the bottom
half, and one screw-clip on
underneath. This helps for removing
the cluster completely. The upper and
lower halves are quite tightly
connected together: pull firmly but
carefully so as to not break the locking
pins.
Looking down at the top of the steering

column. Instrument cluster is to the left.
Screw-clip on the lower steering column

cover.

When the battery has been

disconnected for half an hour, remove
the instrument cluster. (If you dont
wait for the half hour you might set
your airbag warning light on, which
most nonfactory reset tools will not
reset. You do not need to remove the
steering wheel, but cover it and the
column with a towel to avoid
scratches.) Unscrew two screws
underneath the top lip upwards. Reach
behind the cluster and gently wiggle
down the locking levers on the four
wire connectors. That should ease the
connectors partly off the pins.
Locking levers on two connectors. In the
picture, the left lever is pushed down in the
position it would normally only be in when
the connector was in place.
Gently lever out the fog-light-switch

trim, remove the old switch by pushing
it out the front of the trim, and
disconnect the connector.
Alarm LED wire was only just long enough

to allow the trim to come out. If youre
laying that wire (see section in this guide)
try to give a tad more slack. Note the tabs
on left and right of the trim that hold it in
place.
Front-only fog-light switch on the left, front-

and-rear switch on the right with the extra
pin (number 4).

Feed a wire (I used 1 mm2) up the left

side of the footwell, and up behind
where the instrument cluster normally
sits, toward the switch location. Bring
the wire out through the switch hole.
Leave slack for now, until the next few
steps are done.
Crimp a female contact on the end of

the wire near the switch, and insert the
wire into connector slot 4.
New pin going into fog-light switch

connector. Pin numbers are marked on the
connector (not visible here).
Again potentially saving you some

puzzlement, for this connector, you
need to slide half of the connector
this time look for top/bottom sections
rather than inner/outer sections to
the side for the new contact to go in.
If you look closely you can see that the top

half of the connector is shifted leftward very
slightly, which allows the pin to go in all the
way.
Slide the connector half back over,

plug in the connector, and reinstall the
switch and trim in the dash.
The instructions on BMWE34.net put a

2 amp. fuse in this wire, downstream
of the switch. Im not sure why, since
the circuit is fused already on the
other, positive side of the switch.
Perhaps its to protect against reverse
current flow through a broken relay,
but it is not factory practice, and
theres a 5 amp. fuse between the
battery and the relay. Use of a diode
relay can also help prevent reverse
currents. I did not put in this fuse, but
the picture shows what the in-line fuse
holder set up might look like.

Now prepare the wire going to the

rear fog light on information light on
the instrument cluster. This short wire
will go from the back of the instrument
cluster to the main wire that leads
rearwards to the rear fuse box (see
earlier diagram of circuit).
Double-check which small pin on the

back of the instrument cluster leads to
the rear fog-light warning light. As
youre looking at the back of the
cluster, the appropriate connector
socket is the one furthest to the right
26-pin, white, matching the outside of
the plug.
Use an ohmmeter to check for

continuity with the right side (when
looking at the cluster from the back) of
the empty bulb socket for the rear fog
warning light. Mine was pin X502/15,
which was the second pin from the
bottom on the left side of the
connector socket, looking at the back
of the cluster.
The rear fog-light bulb socket is the fourth

from the right along the bottom row. There
are pictograms or words labeling each bulb
socket.
Nip off the zip-tie on the connector.
The zip-tie is the black band around the tab

at the right end of the connector.

Slide out the inner portion of the

connector. You might need to ease
open the sides of the outer portion
in order to free the inner portion.
Black inner portion of the instrument-

cluster connector slid out of the white
outer portion. (Yes, in this picture the
wire has been anachronistically
attached already blue/yellow wire,
second from right in the front.)
Look closely at both narrow ends of

the black inner connector, and
youll see the ends of a contact
locking bar. Push it out from the
obvious end (dont pull it out by its
tab, the tab may just break off).
Instrument cluster connector with

contact locking bar pulled out.
I could not find what the part number is for a new small square contact to fit in this connector. The contacts
are not one of the common two types: the common ones dont have a cutout in the side of the contacts where
the locking bar on this connector needs to slide. The easiest thing to do is just to get the same or a similar
connector with contacts and attached wires from a junkyard donor car. When you do, cut the wires well away
from the connector so you have long strands to work with. Open up the donor connector, slide out the locking
bar, push in an individual contacts locking tab (gently, theyre delicate), and ease the contact and its wire out.
Insert the contact in the appropriate slot of the connector in the car, making sure the tab locks it into place.
You might get some resistance, in which case try gently angling the contact to different sides until it slips past
the obstruction. Slide in the locking bar.
Crimp the contacts wire and the main wire going back to the rear relay holder to a butt joiner or a single-pin
connector, and join them to the wire coming from the fog-light switch. (Or, if you are putting in an inline fuse
holder, crimp the contacts wire and the main wire to the other end of that fuse holder.)

Single-pin connector halves. Note the

portions of the connectors that are slid out,
which releases the tab underneath holding
in the contact. You also have to use the
normal connector release tool
simultaneously in order to get the contact
out. (The connector on the right would face
the other way to actually attach to the
connector on the left.)
Wire from the instrument cluster connector

crimped, along with the wire going back to
the rear relay holder, to an appropriate
contact.
Make the short wire from the contact

long enough so that if the instrument
cluster needs to be removed in the
future there is enough slack to pull the
cluster out far enough to easily unplug
the connectors at the back of the
cluster.
Behind-dash wiring completed: fog-switch

wire comes into the picture from top right;
wire going to the rear of the car comes in
from the left, loops around to the right in
this picture, and meets the wire coming up
from the instrument cluster connector at
the white single-pin connector.

Slide the black inner connector back into its white outer shell, and put a new zip-tie where the old one was
around the tab on the outer shell.
Put a 1.2 watt bulb in the socket on the back of the instrument cluster. Dont touch the glass with your fingers.
Reinstall the cluster in the dash.
Lay the main wire to the sill wire channel, and zip tie all the new wires under the dash as needed. Run the wire
along the door sill channels to the rear seatwell, through the hole at the bottom of the seatwell wall near the
transmission tunnel, and over to where you will attach your relay to the rear fuse box under the rear seat.
Refer to the diagram earlier showing the relay connections.
Crimp a relay contact to the end of the wire, and insert it into a factory relay connector, terminal 86 slot. (You
might need to check the relay itself to see what the terminal numbers are and hence the appropriate slot.)
Crimp a contact to one end of a short ground wire, and insert it in the terminal 85 slot. Crimp a ring terminal
on the other end of the wire and attach it at the nearby ground post.
Run a 1 mm2 or larger wire from

the battery positive post through an
in-line fuse holder to the relay
connector and crimp on a contact.
Strangely, my car came with such a
wire and fuse holder already
attached to the positive cable,
probably aftermarket.
Wire will go roughly where it is shown

in the picture, but under the carpet.
Run the wire from the battery over

the front of the seatwell wall under
the carpet, as the other wires do,
and follow them along the wire
channel covers, over the
transmission tunnel, and through
the porthole into the rear fuse
box area.
Put a 5 amp. fuse in the holder.
Put the contact in the terminal 30

slot.
In-line fuse holder opened up to show

glass cylindrical fuse.

Crimp a relay contact onto a long wire

that will go to the left rear light cluster
(measure how long and cut to that
length) and insert it into the terminal
87 slot on the relay connector.
Completed relay-holder wiring. I preferred

to use the same color wires for the rear fog
lights rather than switch to traditional
brown for the ground. Beware: I
accidentally broke off one of the two
ground posts at this location, since the nut
was seized onto the post. (Tip: if you have
such a tight nut, to avoid breaking it off you
could cut a shallow slot in the end of the
post, put in a screwdriver, and brace the
post with the screwdriver while turning the
nut.)
Insert the relay into the relay

connector, and slide the holder onto a
slot on the rear fuse box or other relay
holder.
Rear fog relay (this one is grey) neatly in

place, with its holder indirectly attached to
the rear headrest relay holder.
Run the long wire back along the other

harnesses, through the trunk bulkhead
grommet, and to the left inner light
assembly on the trunk lid, as follows.
With the rear seatback off, look for the

front side of the grommet under the
insulation. Use an awl to make a hole,
then push the long wire from the relay
a little way through to the trunk.
The wiring going into the trunk behind the

rear seatback well is to the right in this
picture. Rear fog wire can be inserted into
the existing harness holders, such as the
strap visible in the picture, before putting it
through the grommet.

Remove the insulation panel on the

trunk side of the bulkhead with a
screwdriver in the plastic nuts with the
odd-shaped holes (see chapter on ski
sack).
Two nuts for a three-pronged screwdriver!

(A regular screwdriver will work.)
Remove the left-side trunk carpet after

turning the two clips.
Two turn-clips holding on the left-side

trunk trim carpet. (Metal bar in the picture
is for the storage box accessory. It is only
attached to the trim, not to the bodywork)
Remove the wire channel along the left

front of the trunk floor by unscrewing
the two plastic nuts.
Wire channel unscrewed. The left plastic

nut has been put back on its stud.

Now you can see where the harnesses

come into the trunk through the rubber
grommet in the bulkhead.
Carefully unclip the wire channel that

goes along the curved trunk-lid arm.
Tabs on wire channel pop out; watch out,

one of mine was broken off.

While youre there, check the

condition of the wiring where it bends
around the hinge: there are quite a few
reports of chafing or splits in this area,
leading to wiring short circuits and
electrical anomalies.
A view looking up toward the top of the

trunk. The trunk lid hinge is at the very top
of the picture, attached to the damper, and
the relevant wire harness is visible to its
right.
Take off the trunk lid trim to access the

light assemblies. There are four turn-
release clips at the bottom edge (i.e.,
when the trunk lid is down) of the lid,
and all the rest just pull out.
Plastic turn clip at bottom edge of the trunk

lid trim, just to the right of a lid rubber stop.
Turn one-quarter turn, then look behind
the trim to see how to maneuver the clip
out the rest of the way.
Majority of the clips are these difficult

press-clips. Its hard to get them out without
damaging them. One trick is to pull them
and the surrounding trim material out far
enough to slip a screwdriver behind the
material and into the slots in the prong of
the clip, then pry out gently from there
the teeth will be slightly damaged, but not
too much. Clips at the bottom right of the
trim material, when the trunk lid is up,
should not need to be removed at all.

Note micro screwdriver at bottom of

picture.
The tool box and the four screws along its

bottom edge do not need to be removed to
allow access to the wiring path, though the
box needs to be opened up. Note existing
harness, held in by a white clip and
wrapped in black friction tape, at left of the
trunk lid.
Lay the wire to the light assemblies,

inserting it in the existing harness clips
or using zip-ties, leaving slack by the
hinge as needed.
Blue/yellow wire is zip tied and run through

existing harness holders.

Note the black harness clip near where the

wire harness goes in the trunk-lid hole. The
additional wire can be inserted into such
clips.
Unplug the wire connector on the light

assembly. Crimp both the long wire
coming back from the relay and an
additional wire to a female contact.
The additional wire will provide a
parallel circuit to the other fog light,
and needs to be of corresponding
length.
Unlock the wire connector by sliding

the inner portion to the side. Insert the
contact into the connectors free slot
(X329/1).
Double-wire contact in place, in rightmost

slot.
Crimp another contact to the end of

the additional wire, secure it along the
existing harness (there are access holes
to reach inside the trunk lid shell), and
insert it in the right-side connector
(X328/3). The new light assemblies
will handle ground through a pre-
existing common ground.
Insert the fog-light bulb holders,

including the bulbs, into their holes on
the clusters, if needed. Replace the
light assemblies on the trunk with the
new fog light ones two nuts inside
the trunk lid.

Plug in the connectors.
Replace all the wire channel covers and trim pieces, including the steering column trims, if not already done.
Ausgezeichnet! Youre done with a beautiful install. Now pretend its a dark and foggy night. Turn on your
rear fogs (dont forget to turn on the parking lights) ...
The rear-fog-light warning light is the

orange one, to the right of the green
front-fog-light warning light.
Fog-light switch illumination at night.

... walk back, and be dazzled!
Now enjoy not having tailgaters running into you on rainy days.

24. Accessories and Other Options
Some Useful Things.
Following are a variety of nifty factory accessories, add-ons, and parts.
License Plate Screw Caps Cupholder

Fog-Light Covers Gear Knobs
European Bumper Trims Coin Tray
Tire Valve Caps Cassette Holder, Door
Fuses Cassette Holder, Console
Wide-angle Rearview Mirror Wood Handbrake Handle
Glove Box Flashlight Alarm LED Relocation
Glove Box Power Adapter Warning Triangle
Glove Box Dampers Universal First-Aid Kit
Tape Cleaner Tool-Kit Cloths
Power Socket Dummy Plug Bulb Kit
Keychain Trunk Floor Support
Front Passenger Storage Net
License Plate Screw Caps

Protective cap for license plate bolts 8 51 18 1 813 017 $1
Fillister head bolt for license plate, has ridge to secure caps 8 51 18 1 835 719 $1
The license screw caps add a finishing-trim look to often-unsightly and rusted license-plate bolt heads. A few
colors are available. The caps may start to crack after a few years, so get extras.
Fog-Light Covers

Fog light clear stick-on plastic to reduce the common occurrence of 1 82 11 0 008 643 $19
covers stones cracking fog-light lenses

European Bumper Trims
A U.S.-spec bumper trim (for the cars

front right) is at the rear; European-
spec is to the fore. Front of the trims are
to the right.

Rubber strip front left; up to 3/94 1 51 11 1 944 177 $25
Rubber strip front right; up to 3/94 1 51 11 1 944 178 $25
Rubber strip rear left; up to 3/94 1 51 11 1 944 185 $25
Rubber strip rear right; up to 3/94 1 51 11 1 944 186 $25
Though regulations are often strict in Europe, the authorities there did not see the need to have additional
lighting on the side of these vehicles, in addition to the light that already comes from the corner light
assemblies, unlike in the United States. So European bumpers do not have the U.S. supplementary lighting in
the trims. Although the supplementaries do have a nice effect at night, the look of the car is more smooth and
classic without the lights. Check your national and local laws to see whether you must have the side marker
lights.
The bumper trims are removed by first taking out the side marker light assemblies (see chapter on underhood
light). Then the trims are slid straight forwards a little bit, in the case of the front ones, and backwards in the
case of the rear ones. Finally they are pulled out to the side.
Note the hook on the tab on the side of

the trim (bottom right of the picture).
Several of these hooks on the trim
along the side of the car need to be slid
forward in their slots, then the trim can
be pulled out laterally. The trims are
often crusted in place with dirt, and
hard to slide. Note the wires and hole in
the sheet metal for the light assembly,
at the bottom right of the picture.

Accessories E34 Factory Options Guide
Tire Valve Caps

Caps For tire valves 1 set 36 11 0 009 838 $13
The tire valve caps with factory logo are a nice touch, and add one more location to put the attractive roundel
design on the car.
Wheel Locks

Set wheel locks has about 10 different key adaptors 1 36 13 6 786 419 $30
Set wheel locks has more combinations 1 36 13 6 782 984 $51
The wheel locks use one special bolt per wheel; the bolt requires a matching adaptor in order to be turned.
The adaptor fits over the bolt into the matching pattern, and has the required hex head on the other end.
Fuses


Fuses the clever kind that BMW uses: blown fuse wires are visible 61 13 1 370 987 7.5A <$1
through top without having to pull the fuse out! 61 13 1 386 627 10A
61 13 1 372 626 15A
61 13 1 386 848 20A
61 13 1 372 627 25A
61 13 1 372 628 30A
Fuse clip the fuse and relay puller 1 61 13 1 379 583 $1
Why didnt anyone else think of this?

The yellow fuse illustrates how the fuse
allows easy checking without having to
pull the fuse out to look at it from the
side.
While youre at it, if theyre missing

dont forget to get the convenient
official fuse puller, and spare fuses,
and put them in the appropriate
spots on the underside of the front
fuse box cover.
This is the underside of the front fuse

box in the engine bay, with holders for
the fuse puller and spare fuses. Note
the temporary non-factory fuse at left
that does not allow instantaneous
checking of the fuse.

Wide-Angle Rearview Mirror

Wide-angle mirror glass heated; drivers side; up to 9/92 1 51 16 1 938 065 $100
Wide-angle mirror glass left side; up to 9/92 1 51 16 1 938 091 $45
The wide-angle mirror has two sections, with a small outer portion angled outwards more to reduce any blind
spot. The border between the two sections is barely visible as a thin line at the left of the mirror in the picture
above.
Glove Box Flashlight

Flashlight plugs into a charger behind glove box door 1 82 11 9 413 147 $22
Probably standard in new U.S.-specification cars, the rechargeable glovebox flashlight is by now sometimes
missing.

Glove Box Power Adapter

Glove box power adapter similar to a cigar-lighter socket 1 82 11 0 004 075 $8
This accessory has a cigar-lighter-style socket plug for powering various things. It plugs in where the flashlight
does, behind the glove box door.
It is convenient since one doesnt have to leave the ashtray open for access to the cigar lighter / power socket
there, nor have whatever is using that power socket stick out. With this adapter, the accessory can be left in the
glovebox (or even outside of it because the glovebox door can safely be closed over the protected wire).
Power adapter plugs into flashlight-charging socket behind glove-box door. Note the clear reinforcing plastic on the cord
that helps protect the wire when the glovebox door is closed over it.

Glove Box Damper

Absorber plugs into a charger behind glove box door 1 51 16 2 236 464 $30
clip, washer clip attaches bottom end to glove box stud, over rubber 1
washer
bolt, spacer bolt attaches top end through metal spacer to flange 1
plastic washer c-shaped double washer goes on metal spacer 1 51 23 1 906 523 <$1
Most of the E34s are equipped with perfectly functional but unluxurious straps to hold the glove box when its
open. Late models with airbag, however, sometimes replaced at least one of the straps with a small damper
strut. An M5 EBA (01 29 9 783 026) specifically describes a damper strut on the left and the normal strap on
the right, so thats probably the correct set-up. A strut will go on the right, after cutting away a bit of the
glovebox to make it fit, but clearance didnt seem to be full, and the glovebox closed rather stiffly.
The strut attaches to the same locations as the strap. Use the metal clip that held on the bottom of the strap for
the bottom of the damper too. Obtain hardware store bolts, spacers, lock washers, and nuts as necessary to
fashion a new attachment at the top. I used something that worked like a rivet, but the ends screw together.
This is where the top of the left damper

attached on an E32 donor car. The
bushing appeared to be riveted on, so I
used something similar from the
hardware store.
Tape Cleaner


Tape cleaning kit for cassette player, has BMW logo, used price 1 65 12 1 467 935 $20
Power-Socket Dummy Plug

Plug 1 51 16 8 222 183 $5
This replaces cigar-lighter heating elements useful to ward off a child burn, particularly for the rear seat area.

Keychain

Key fob BMW my favorite key chain, a lovely enamel, vintage-lettered 1 80 56 0 307 811 $29
emblem roundel
Front Passenger Storage Net
Flexible storage net in the passenger footwell.

Parcel net for front passenger, side of center console 1 51 47 2 261407 $16
Fixing element screw locks for above 4 51 47 2 263 062 <$1
Total cost: $17
This simple add-on is quite convenient for storing flat things. Best of all, it doesnt take up any room when it is
not in use. It is screwed onto the carpeting on the side of the center console, in the passenger footwell.
Einbauanleitung: 01 29 9 782 127, 1/89.

Cupholder
The cupholder viewed from the bottom: it fits over the edge of the console.

Dual cupholder fits over the side of the center console 1 82 11 1 468 721 $21
This cupholder was designed specifically for the E32 and E34.

Gear Knobs
This one is in dark burled walnut.

Gearshift knob burled walnut 1 25 11 1 222 702 $80
Gearshift knob bubinga 1 25 11 1 221 675 $80
Gearshift knob birds-eye maple, grey 1 25 11 2 227 372 $80
Gearshift knob myrtle 1 25 11 1 434 497 $80
Gearshift knob aluminum 1 82 23 9 405 686 $80
Gearshift knob aluminum and leather 1 82 23 9 405 688 $80
Illuminated shift knob Has M logo and nifty illumination of the shift pattern on 1 25 11 2 231 561 $110
the top of the knob; this number is for the kit, including
a harness
The listing just gives a few samples of the options. Most knobs from the factory of this era and even later are
interchangeable, so the wide variety of knobs from other models provides candidates for installation too. The
knobs simply pull off, although they are on very tightly so much so that one has to be careful not to bang
into something, including ones face, when the knob finally breaks free from the shaft.
Coin Tray
Coin holder. It can mount in either

door. Note, although the color of the
holder is closer to the color of the
interior trim than it appears in the
pictures, it does not come in a perfect
match.


Coin tray fits in front door storage bin 51 41 8 138 777 (gray) $22
Cassette Holder, Door
Cassette storage box. A red dot (barely visible on furthest tray in the picture) appears when a cassette is in the tray. Tray
releases by pushing on the light gray button.

Cassette holder fits in front door storage bin 2 51 16 1 964 319 (light gray) $39
This holder has six pop-up slots for cassettes. It just stores just the cassettes, not their boxes.
Cassette Holder, Console
Goes nicely with the wood handbrake handle.

Cassette box 1 65 14 8 350 579 (light silver
gray)
Cassette box with wood cover; used price 1 $120
Wood cover 1 82 25 9 402 677
91? 1 82 25 9 401 884

Cassette box kit 1 65 14 9 433 022 (light silver $39
gray)
Connection cable 1 61 12 1 379 863 $16
Bulb 1.2W 63 21 7 167 000 $2
Screw fillister-head self-tapping ST4.2x16-ABW 1 07 11 9 906 749 <$1
Flat washer 1 65 14 1 374 485 <$1
This console cassette holder was available with a nice wood cover besides the normal colors. It has lighting in
the individual cassette trays, and connects to pre-wiring under the console.
The holder goes in the long cubby hole at the rear of the center console, parallel to the handbrake.
Unfortunately it seems to require cutting the console if the lighting is to be used. A wire pigtail goes from the
rear of the holder to a 2-pin connector underneath the console. If you dont want to mar the console, you
could cut the tabs off the holder at the rear, and take off the bottom light-carrier portion of the holder, so that
the holder will simply rest in the cubby hole. The front tab seems to pop over a special knob screwed in where
a screw normally is at the inside front of the cubby hole, but I havent been able to find the part number for
the knob.
Wood Handbrake Handle

Handbrake grip burled walnut, used price 1 82 25 9 402 861 $25
To take off the old handle, the gaiter needs to come off, since its zip-tie also holds the leather grip. Take out
the base of the gaiter (see the chapter on rear sunshade installation) and pull the gaiter up, inside-out. Clip off
the zip-tie that is also holding the leather handbrake grip.
Then slide the old grip off the metal handbrake lever. Its on tightly, and there may be some glue too. Zip tie
the gaiter again, this time only over the lever. Then stick on an adhesive-backed foam spacer that your new
wood handle might have come with, and coax the new handle into place.

Alarm LED Relocation
Alarm LED relocated from rear of

center console using wiring kit
(microphone is not yet in place just
above the LED).

Cable extension kit to relocate alarm LED 1 82 11 1 467 013 $23
The blinking warning LED for the alarm (and the glass-breakage sensor) seem usually to be installed in the
rear end of the center console. The installation instructions also list another location, in the dash, however.
The problem with the rear location is that you dont see the blinking light when youre standing at the front
door to unlock the car, and if you forget that the alarm happens to be on, opening the door will set it off, at
least for my 92 alarm system. This only happens because of one of the few design peccadilloes of the car:
unlike for many more-recent models, using the key in the door lock to unlock the car does not turn off the
alarm.
Relocating the LED and sensor to the dash requires the extension cable that you run along door sills (or
unofficially along the center console) and up toward the fog-light switch.
Warning Triangle
Partially-folded warning triangle,

showing how the legs fold up.

The white peg at the top of the inner material clips the two raised triangle sides together.

Warning the one specifically made to fit in the trunk tool box; no longer 1 71 60 1 179 041 $32
triangle available from the factory; used price
Warning does not have the BMW logo on it, is not the Euro-spec one 1 82 11 1 466 578 $21
triangle specifically made to fit in the trunk tool box
Whats that long rectangular hole for in your trunk tool kit? For the Euro-spec warning triangle, which I have
never seen in the United States. According to one report of unknown accuracy, the Department of
Transportation wouldnt certify it because it wouldnt stand up to gale force winds. Whatever the case, it has
long metal legs at its base, so it is extremely sturdy. The U.S.-spec triangle does not fit in the tool kit.
Warning triangle in its home.

Universal First-Aid Kit

First-aid kit does have BMW logo 1 82 11 1 469 062 $21
Not to be confused with the Euro-spec under-seat first-aid kit, for which, see the relevant chapter.
Tool-Kit Cloths

Polishing cloth for tool kit; three in a pack; several colors available 1 51 91 0 148 456 (blue) $22

Bulb Kit
The fuses and the top two bulbs in the picture were not in the original kit, but sockets were in place under the cover sheet
to hold them. Other spare locations to hold bulbs are also visible.

Lamp set box to hold spare bulbs 1 63 12 6 927 497 $16

Trunk Floor Support

Spare wheel pad 14mm high 1 51 47 1 904 726 $2
Spare wheel pad 13mm high 1 51 47 1 904 728 $2
These pads support the trunk carpet over the spare wheel well. They go on the wheel hold-down bolt in the
center of the well. Theyre listed here since they often seem to be missing by now, although the cars with the
basketweave wheels probably use the hexagonal wheel center capremoving attachment instead. Although
not essential, since the carpet backing is pretty stiff, they do help with heavier loads.

Appendix I: Special Tools
Wire-Contact-Removing Tool
The light-gray plastic part slides up over

the end of the tool when its not in use,
to protect the tool tip.

Press-out tool For releasing wire connectors from their plugs 1 88 88 6 611 132 $44
An invaluable tool anytime that taking individual wire contacts out of their connector plugs is needed, such as
in several of these chapters and in EBA procedures when a vehicle is not pre-wired for the accessory.
The tip of the tool is a hollow

cylinder; it slides over the catches
on the side of the wire contact that
hold the contact in its socket, so
that the catches will pass by the
retaining flange in the socket.
Then, as you keep pushing on the
tool, a plunger inside the tip comes
forward and pushes the contact
back out of its socket so it can be
removed from the holder. A neat
operation.
Note that, as well as the contacts being secured in their connectors, many of the connectors have an additional
locking mechanism. Often it is to slide one section of the connector to the side relative to another section, past
small locking tabs. Those mechanisms do not need a special tool.

E34 Factory Options Guide Appendix I
Relay-Contact-Removing Tool

Ejector for releasing relay or fuse contacts from their holders 1 83 30 0 492 711 $76
This tool is similar to the previous one. It frees the catches that hold wire contacts into relay holders or fuse
slots. It is used less often than the previous tool, but is useful for a couple of procedures in this guide. The
contacts can alternatively be released by using multiple jewelers screwdrivers coming in from multiple
directions, but this tool makes the job much easier.
Headlight-Washer Adjustment Tool

Nozzle adjustment for aligning the spray jets of the headlight washers 1 83 30 0 490 502 $51
tool

Special Tools E34 Factory Options Guide
This prongs on the end of this tool fit into slots on the headlight washer nozzles, allowing the jets to be moved,
as one does for the windshield washer jets.
The kink in the tool appears to be a useful improvement that allows you to test the jets aim point without
having to take the tool in and out of the nozzle each time you activate the washer to see where the spray hits.
Friction Tape

Fabric-tape 1 61 13 6 902 588 $1
This is the kind of tape used to wrap wires in exposed areas like the engine bay.
Valve Tool
Middle of tool is a spring that allows

tensioning of the adjusting cam without
turning it, by applying just the right
amount of pressure.

Valve nifty spring tool to adjust valve clearances on M30 engine 1 88 88 6 113 070 $19
adjusting tool

E34 Factory Options Guide Appendix I

Appendix II: Wiring Factory Contact System
Several of the retrofits in this guide involve adding new wires to existing wire connectors, or splicing a new
wire to existing wires. Fortunately this is made easy and neat by the factory wire contact and connector
system. The 2.5 mm round-contact system uses contacts that, at their pin/socket end, have standard-size
male/female connectors, and at their wire end have varying-size crimp sections. So, wires of different sizes can
easily be connected together through the common pin/socket.
The contacts also have a standard outside shape and diameter for fitting into a variety of different connectors
the plastic shells that connect a group of wires together, ranging from 1-pin to at least 30-pin connectors. The
contacts are locked in to the connectors in two ways: the connector has one of several locking mechanisms,
and the contacts have locking tabs. The connector locks are released in several different ways, usually by
sliding an inner shell sideways a very small amount in relation to the outer shell. Look for a few small teeth
holding the shells in place to slide the shells, they have to be opened up enough to let the teeth pass each
other. Then the special contact-release tool is slipped over the contact and depresses the tiny tabs, so that the
contact can slip past the flange on the connector. See the previous appendix for more on the special tool.
Wires can be crimped onto a contact with the use of special crimping pliers. These pliers have a w-shaped
slot that curves the tangs of the contact over and down on top, separately, of both the plastic wire sheath and
the stripped end of the wire. The factory pliers cost hundreds of dollars. A professional nonfactory pair can
cost maybe $100-150, and would usually have replaceable crimping jaws. A pair without replaceable jaws that
produces an acceptable, but not quite professional, crimp can be had for $30-40, but are quite hard to find.
They are not the common crimpers / wire cutters that dont have the distinctive w-shaped slots and that are
mainly meant for crimping insulated contacts.
To merge a new wire onto an existing wire, an existing or new connector can be used. With an existing
connector, take out one of the relevant contacts using the release methods above, cut off the old contact, and
crimp both the old wire and a new wire into a new contact, usually with a larger wire-end size to accomodate
the two wires. Then insert the contact into the old connector hole, lock it into place, and join up the two
connector halves again.
To use a new connector, cut the original wire and add new contacts to each end of the cut. When crimping on
one of the new contacts, add in the new wire. Then insert the contacts in new connector halfs, and connect
them.
Alternatively, wires can be spliced together using a factory butt contact, covered with heat-shrink tubing rather
than a connector. This is probably better for wet and dirty areas, since the water/dirt-resistant contacts (see
below) cant always be applied in ways that eliminate the need for a non-connector splice. The butt contacts
are a single piece of metal rather than a male/female pair, and have a wire crimped on either end (see chapter
on the underhood light for an example).
Some of the very-low-current connectors use tiny square contacts rather than the larger 2.5 mm round-contact
system. Similar principles apply as above, with different connectors and release mechanisms, but crimping is
more difficult since the contacts are so miniscule. In such cases its usually easier to splice the wires together
rather than try to add new contacts (see the chapter on rear fog lights for an example).
Factory fuses have a similar type of contact, that is released by a different tool (see Appendix I), though there
are sometimes extra locking pins that the tool doesnt reach.
Wire-Contact Part Numbers

The contacts in the table below are found all over the car.
The round, larger contacts are by far the most common and can be readily removed and replaced in the
connectors using the contact-removal tool described above. They have a common pin-end size (2.5 mm) that
connects to the opposite-gender contact, but different wire-end sizes to match the wire or wires being crimped
on.
The square, very small contacts are found in a few connectors.

E34 Factory Options Guide Appendix II
Wire Contacts
Shape M/F Wire already Wire size, Name Number
2
crimped on mm
ROUND
F 0.40.75 cable socket round 61 13 1 373 820
0.51.0 rundsteckh 61 13 1 376 202
1.02.5 rundsteckh 61 13 1 376 204
2.54.0 rundsteckh 61 13 1 376 206
M 0.40.75 circular connector 61 12 1 373 819
0.51.5 rundsteckkontakt 61 13 1 376 191
1.02.5 rundsteckkontakt 61 13 1 376 193
2.54.0 61 13 1 376 195
F y 0.51.0 61 13 0 007 449
y 1.02.5 61 13 0 007 450
M y 0.51.0 61 13 0 007 452
y 1.02.5 61 13 0 007 453
waterproof F y 0.51.0 rundsteckh 61 13 0 007 441
y 1.02.5 61 13 0 007 442
L-shape y 0.51.0 61 13 0 007 445
L-shape y 1.02.5 61 13 0 007 446
M y 0.51.0 rundsteckkontakt 61 13 0 007 443
y 1.02.5 61 13 0 007 444
y 61 13 1 382 248
bent F 1.52.5 connector 61 13 1 376 224
y 0.51.0 61 13 0 007 470
y 1.02.5 61 13 0 007 472
1.52.5 61 13 1 376 224
SQUARE
AMP (with flange) F 0.20.5 bushing contact 61 13 0 005 197
0.75 61 13 0 006 663
M 0.20.5 61 13 0 005 198
0.75 61 13 0 006 664
Siemens (no flange) F 0.20.5 61 13 0 005 201
y 0.50.75 61 13 0 008 998
FUSE CONTACTS
0.51.0 double leaf spring contact 61 13 1 370 691
1.52.5 61 13 1 370 692
2.54.0 61 13 1 370 693
BUTT JOINERS
0.20.5 61 13 8 353 746
0.751.0 61 13 8 353 747
1.52.5 61 13 8 353 748
CABLE TERMINALS [ring terminals]
0.351.0 cable terminal A6 61 13 8 353 763
2.56.0 61 13 1 388 431
6.010.0 61 13 1 388 865
10.016.0 61 13 1 382 548
Approximate Wire-Size Conversion

20 ga. = 0.5 mm2
18 = 0.75
16 = 1.5 (1.3, more exactly)
14 = 2.5 (2.0, more exactly)
12 = 4.0 (3.3, more exactly)
10 = (5.3 exactly)

Appendix III: Manuals and Reference Sources
Electronic Parts Catalog (ETK)
This CD-based catalog is extremely useful for finding part numbers, prices, and availability, discovering
accessories, seeing what parts look like, and finding what parts are used and what other vehicles they appear
on. Disks are available on eBay. Also known as the ETK, from the German initials. See also realoem.com.
Electrical Troubleshooting Manual (ETM)

One volume contains the vehicles invaluable wiring diagrams. The other has troubleshooting procedures,
usually for use with the prohibitively-expensive factory diagnostic equipment. The wiring diagrams have
essential information for the retrofits described in this guide involving wiring, particularly to check differences
between model years and between the E32 and E34. The comprehensive diagrams show wire colors,
connector pin numbers, and fuse, relay, module, component, splice, and connector locations. Some have a
useful brief guide to circuit-fault-finding with an ohmmeter. Sometimes the Europe-only retrofits only show up
in the European editions of the manuals. The wiring diagrams can be obtained as electronic files.

E34 Factory Options Guide Appendix III

Manuals and Reference Sources E34 Factory Options Guide
Factory Service Manual

There was indeed a true factory service manual. They are very hard to come by as second-hand hardcopies,
especially originals. They have good illustrations and most procedures laid out in clear steps. The manual is
available new on CD, as shown below, from the factory distributor, centrallettershop.com ($150).
Technical Information System (TIS)

This includes information on torque specs, special service procedures, technical specs, special tools, and the
like but does not include the real service manual. It is found on CD, often as part of a set including the ETK
and ETM.

Bentley Publishers Service Manual

A very useful independent repair manual. Available new from the publishers. Not especially cheap, used,
usually $60 or more.

Technical Reference Manuals

The factory produced an excellent series of documents describing the technical features of vehicles, including
the E34 (some were really for the E32, but they shared the relevant system). They were only supplied within
the company, for training courses, and they are also very rare now.

Sales Brochures
The usual glossy brochures were produced, covering different models, paint & upholstery, and accessories, by
year. They are useful to see what equipment was on which years, in case you want to upgrade or alter (for
example changing the interior wood). They are readily available from used automobile literature sources.
Installation Instructions (Einbauanleitungen)

These are the factorys very useful retrofitting instructions for several of the options described in this guide.
They have clear drawings for each step, and the German text is translated into multiple languages at the end
of each booklet. See the next appendix for a list of the numerous topics covered.



Appendix IV: Factory Einbauanleitungen (EBA)
Installation Instructions
These superb installation instructions are very useful for many of these retrofits. They are clearly illustrated,
and have instructions in numerous languages. Some dealers have said they cant order them, but they are
sometimes available on the Internet.
There are many more for the E32, which can be useful too.
All these part numbers begin with 01 29 9.
E34 Einbauanleitungen
Ski carrier 410 725
Park distance control 415 412

Installation kit for rear trailer support 415 470
Third bicycle mounting fixture 415 494
Trailer loading ramp 416 396

Umbrella holder 416 497
Bicycle rack for AHK rear fog light shutoff 416 927
Retrofit kit, slipstream deflector 750 862
Sports steering wheel 780 044

Retrofit kit, cassette box 780 815
Heated spray nozzle, with intensive cleaning 780 819
Tandem interior mirror 780 829
Wide angle mirror 781 194

Lumbar support 781 298
Center armrest 781 422
Mounting parts set for fire extinguisher 781 460
Mono- system / stereo system 4-ohm 781 511
Retrofit kit, cassette box 781 514
Radio Bavaria C exclusive 4-ohm HiFi system 781 518
Installing set, cruise control 781 663
Mono- system / stereo system 4-ohm 781 665
Retrofit kit, window lifts, electric, rear 781 666
Interior light and reading light, front 781 820
Retrofit kit, M rear apron aerodynamic package 781 831
Retrofit kit, M door sill trim 781 832
Retrofit kit, M rear spoiler, aerodynamic package 781 837
Radio Bavaria C Business 782 034

Headlight washers with intensive cleaner 782 112
Interior rearview mirror with auto dip 782 113
Coolbox 782 124
Luggage compartment box 782 127
Sports steering wheel, M-Technik 782 140
Reserve fuel tank, 9L 782 142
Set, wood strips dashboard, E34 cockpit 782 152
Retrofit kit, shift knob, leather, illuminated M-Sport 782 164
Set, mud flaps, rear 782 189
Set, mud flaps, front 782 190
Trunk room net 782 198
Wide angle mirror 782 537

E34 Factory Options Guide Appendix IV
Radio Bavaria C Business 782 742

Radio Mexico electronic CR safety 782 745
Radio Bavaria C 782746
Radio Bavaria C electronic / exclusive 4-ohm 782 749
Storing partition [tray for front center console] 783 001

Rear interior lights with reading light early models 783 023
Roller sun blind, rear, manual 783 024
Ignition harness with Marten repeller 783 600
Rear side window roller blind 783 611
Retrofit kit, automatic antenna 783 623
Retrofit kit, alt. Power siren ESS 783 624
Installing set, rear spoiler 783 684
Installing set, spoiler front 783 685
Installing set, rear apron 783 686
Set, side-skirts 783 687
Radio Bavaria C II & C Reverse II 783 714
Installing set, amplifier windshield antenna 783 736
Additional turn indicator lamp, side panel 783 767
Set, mounting parts headrest rear 783 899
Ultrasonic-module DWA 784 738

Lights-on warning retrofit 784 779
M Technik gearshift lever knob cover 784 812
Retrofit kit, shift knob, leather, illuminated M-Sport 784 818
Tilt-alarm sending unit 784 938
Auxiliary heater, M5 785 060

Installing set, spoiler front 785 090
Installing set, rear spoiler 785 091
Set, side-skirts 785 092
Installing set, rear apron 785 093

Universal protective rear seat cover 786 198
Installation kit, alarm system 786 200
Ultrasonic-module ESS 786 221
Ultrasonic-module ESS installation kit alarm system 786 206
Retrofit kit, loudspeaker, front, performance 786 244
Set, mounting parts, performance 786 246
Kit, interior mirror with dim, automatic 786 337
ZB Sitzheiz E34/32 786 359
Conversion kit, stereo 1 to stereo 2 786 417
Conversion kit, HiFi 1 to HiFi 2 786 418
Bavaria C Professional RDS, retrofit kit, CD-changer trunk trim panel 786 506
Retrofit kit, M door sill trim, aerodynamic package 786 608
Retrofit kit, M rear spoiler, aerodynamic package 786 609
Sports steering wheel M-Technik 786 638
Roller sun blind, rear, manual; rear window shelf 786 640
Installation kit, alarm system 786 655
Sports steering wheel, Woodline and Blackline 786 948
Heated spray nozzle 786 656
Electronic speed control 787 105

Coolbag 787 128
Installation kit, alarm system II 787 300

Einbauanleitungen E34 Factory Options Guide
Sitzheiz E34/32 787 378

Lumbar electric power cable left 787 388
Headlight aim control 787 538
Roller sun blind, rear window, electric 787 547
Installing set, ski sack 787 597
Ski bag 787 598
Sports steering wheel, Woodline & Blackline 787 649
Retrofit kit, M front spoiler, aerodynamic package 787 745
Retrofit kit, M rear apron, aerodynamic package 787 746
Installation kit, Sports steering wheel II 787 969
Lumbar support, wiring 788 029

Multiple start interruption system II 788 235
Steering wheel rim II, leather, for airbag, 9/904/94 788 347
Steering wheel rim II, leather, for airbag, 9/904/94 788 357
Installing set, air conditioning, R-12 788 367
Multiple start interruption va. I sys. II-III 788 429
Retrofit kit, M front spoiler 788 443
Surfboard rack, Profil 2000 788 462
Safety kit for roof rack 788 465
Installation kit, alarm system I 788 469
Installation kit, alarm system I 788 479
Sound modul system, E32 / E34 ECE 788 699
Towing hitch, electronic parts 788 727
Front/rear white turn indicator 788 729
Headlight cleaning system 788 808
Standard ski/snowboard holder 788 828
Installing set, air conditioning R-134a 788 835
Burl walnut handbrake grip 788 919
Adhesive films for on-glass antenna 789 048

Universal support, Profil 2000 789 055
Retrofit kit, rear antenna, singleband 789 115
Steering wheel, 4-spoke to Sport wheel 3-spoke, from 5/94 789 119
Telephone console 789 128
Hands-free telephone facility 789 135
Installation kit, alarm system III; system II 789 156
Adapter, roof, Boxenlift universal lift 789 169
Installation kit, alarm system s. III 789 223
Installation kit, leather covers 789 357
Bicycle lift 789 359
Front seat heating 789 415
Rack support, Profil 2000 789 469
Window lifts, electric, front and rear 789 555
Installation kit, third brake light 789 565
Ski/snowboard set 789 627
Installation kit, alarm system III 789 664
Lock for snowboard 789 846
Luggage basket for roof 789 876

E34 Factory Options Guide Appendix IV
Hands-free telephone facility changeover module 790 139

Bicycle rack for AHK 790 309
Bicycle lift set 2 790 409
Adapter, roof, Boxenlift 790 458
Ultrasonic-module DWA 790 787

Index
air filter ....................................................... 33, 66 fire extinguisher ....... 9, 11, 11720, 133, 155, 315
airbags3, 18, 77, 936, 1057, 139, 269, 289, 317 firewall.........................................................3940
a-pillar .............................................................. 70 first-aid kit................................ 1178, 1212, 298
armrests ...............7, 11, 13, 128, 133, 2016, 315 universal..............................................283, 298
ashtray.................................................... 191, 288 fog light covers.................................................283
battery 8, 12, 19, 45, 59, 63, 70, 107, 125, 1357, fog light nozzles........................................17, 237
140, 155, 159, 1824, 219, 2234, 235, 240, fog lights ....2, 4, 8, 112, 1727, 31, 445, 2656,
250, 25670, 274 271, 275, 280, 283, 315
Bentley Publishers service manual................... 310 footwells ..... 6, 7, 13, 3940, 45, 70, 73, 102, 136,
Bowden cable ......................................... 160, 192 1445, 1557, 1645, 169, 1812, 185, 2235,
b-pillars....................................................... 5, 223 270, 291
bulb kit.................................................... 283, 299 rear ...............................19, 144, 159, 182, 224
bumper side strips ................................. 19, 2834 friction tape .....................................................303
bumpers...............................2, 1931, 60, 64, 284 front passenger storage net ......................283, 291
cassette holder fuse boxes
console ............................................... 283, 294 front ................ 31, 3645, 6364, 76, 185, 286
door ................................................... 283, 294 rear ................. 221, 231, 239, 249, 271, 2745
cassette tape cleaner ............................... 283, 289 fuses ..................................................36, 286, 299
CD player ....................................................... 257 F16 .............................................................141
cover .......................................................... 259 F18 .............................................................141
cell phone ....................................................... 219 F24 .........................................................37, 39
Check Control system ..................34, 13, 64, 139 gear knobs...............................................283, 293
circular saw ............................................. 189, 196 General Module.....................................71, 7475
coin tray.................................................. 283, 293 glove box............... 1, 39, 70, 937, 1001, 2879
connectors glove box damper....................................283, 289
butt............................................................... 65 glove box flashlight ..................................283, 287
X13 ........................................................ 3943 glove box power adapter .........................283, 288
X14 .................................................. 74, 1857 glycerine ......................................................28, 31
X15 .............................................53, 54, 1867 gong ................................................73, 98, 1001
X255 ............................................................ 74 ground strap, hood ......................................63, 65
X269 .......................................................... 239 grounds 65, 71, 73, 74, 89, 140, 149, 151, 1592,
X295 ...............................................445, 767 1814, 225, 234, 240, 249, 256, 266, 2745,
X332 ............................................................ 71 280
X333 ............................................................ 76 handbrake handle, wood .........................283, 295
X337 .......................................................... 221 headlight beam adjusters ...................................47
console, center ..5, 7, 937, 1001, 123, 133, 182, headlight nozzles..............................17, 25, 26, 46
223, 226, 23940, 2912, 2956, 316 headliner .................................3, 6, 701, 90, 179
control modules ...... 178, 31, 45, 6979, 13940, headrest motors ........... 140, 1524, 171, 174, 233
144, 170, 2215, 2314, 240, 247 headrests 5, 11, 13, 128, 133, 1367, 140, 1524,
c-pillars ........................................193, 2373, 250 171, 174, 204, 207, 2159, 233, 235, 239,
cruise control .............................................. 80, 84 275, 316
cupholder ............................................... 283, 292 rear .....123, 135, 159, 215, 221, 239, 240, 249
deadpedal..................................... 70, 79, 98, 185 heat shrink tubing ..............................................65
door panels 6, 13, 145, 155, 160, 1658, 189201 hole saw ......................................................24, 25
E32 model ..5, 17, 37, 42, 46, 59, 87, 89, 13940, hood.................... 2, 323, 36, 43, 5968, 98, 145
143, 1445, 149, 152, 1589, 162, 181, 183, independent heating system.................................2
2017, 215, 2213, 230, 232, 237, 289, 292, independent ventilation system ......................2, 12
307, 311, 315, 317 installation instructions (EBA)17, 18, 212, 25, 26,
Electronic Parts Catalog (ETK) ........................ 307 28, 31, 467, 59, 70, 79, 87, 90, 93, 1056,
Electronic Troubleshooting Manual (ETM) . 37, 42, 1189, 123, 125, 130, 139, 173, 175, 177,
187, 307, 309 181, 189, 1945, 201, 2079, 212, 215, 221,
engine bay ...... 18, 29, 348, 59, 64, 68, 756, 82, 23740, 245, 2489, 250, 257, 261, 265, 291,
286, 303 301, 312, 315
factory service manual .................................... 309 insulation............. 602, 67, 2078, 2168, 2756

E34 Factory Options Guide Index
intensive washers ...................2, 178, 32, 46, 315 seating heating elements .. 1234, 129, 132, 1356
keychain ................................................. 283, 291 ski sack ...................... 7, 20110, 2134, 276, 317
keys ...................14, 89, 46, 163, 257, 291, 296 slip rings ......................................................... 105
knee bolster .............................................. 93, 100 splices.....40, 64, 65, 75, 152, 181, 183, 187, 266,
Leatherique..................................................... 133 307
license plate .................................. 4, 19, 117, 283 steering column .... 112, 445, 79, 95, 99, 1056,
license plate screw caps................................... 283 13940, 144, 1589, 2678, 281
light control module (LKM) ......................... 8, 265 sunroof ............................ 1, 7, 9, 123, 90, 1779
lights sunshades
city ............................................................... 56 door 7, 11, 147, 18990, 193, 1956, 198, 316
fog......... 4, 8, 12, 18, 22, 31, 445, 2656, 275 switches
headlights ..... 2, 4, 8, 178, 246, 29, 314, 37, fog light .........................................26972, 296
456, 64, 667, 3023 headlight adjusting ..................................47, 54
interior...........................2, 3, 68, 90, 237, 316 hood .................................................43, 61, 68
parking ....................................... 4, 59, 64, 281 intensive wash ...........................................434
reading ..................................... 7, 11, 237, 243 light.....................................59, 634, 185, 281
side marker............................... 59, 64, 68, 284 lumbar ....................5, 123, 133, 155, 173, 176
underhood.................................................... 56 memory ..................................5, 127, 155, 170
locks mirror......................2, 140, 145, 149, 160, 168
door ..1, 145, 148, 160, 18991, 195, 198, 296 parking light ................................................. 64
ignition ........................................................... 8 rear headrests..............................136, 223, 229
lumbar support .. 5, 1235, 1334, 13941, 1716 rear seat heating ......................................5, 137
M5 model ... 5, 123, 173, 201, 205, 223, 257, 316 rear seat position ........................................ 222
memory system.....5, 105, 125, 127, 134, 13945, seat heating .............5, 133, 139, 155, 173, 226
1495, 1602, 166, 168, 170, 173, 186, 267 seat position ....................5, 127, 132, 133, 155
mirrors sunshade............................... 7, 23940, 2445
autodimming .................................... 71, 8790 thigh support .............................................. 155
rearview ....25, 8, 123, 69, 87, 139, 237, 315 underhood light.........................................623
moonroof.................................................... 1779 window ...............................................192, 229
outside temperature gauge ...................... 20, 301 tanks...................... 2, 179, 294, 37, 45, 65, 315
parcel shelf.............................. 7, 240, 243, 2468 coolant ......................................................... 38
Park Distance Control ..................................... 232 washer fluid.............................29, 34, 56, 656
pedal cover ........70, 73, 93, 94, 97103, 185, 267 Technical Reference Manuals.......................... 311
power outlet dummy plug ....................... 283, 290 tire valve caps..........................................283, 285
power outlet, rear...... 7, 137, 159, 181, 184, 188, tool-kit cloths ...........................................283, 298
223, 226, 2401 Touring model .....................................1, 913, 18
radiator ....................................................... 33, 66 trunk
Raintronic ................................................... 6977 bins ............................................................ 261
reciprocating saw .............................. 26, 189, 196 mat ............................................................ 264
relay-contact-removing tool............................. 302 net.............................................................. 263
relays .... 17, 18, 312, 3639, 4245, 7374, 137, straps ......................................................... 263
140, 154, 171, 215, 2215, 2314, 2656, tray ............................................................ 262
27075, 280, 286, 302, 307 trunk floor support ...................................283, 300
roundel ................................... 105, 107, 285, 291 underhood light .......................32, 5965, 68, 284
sabre saw ........................................................ 100 valve tool........................................................ 303
sales brochures................................................ 312 warning triangle .......................................283, 296
seat base 5, 13, 12337, 139140, 142, 157, 169 washer pumps .............................................29, 37
70, 173, 176, 207, 2156, 22130, 235, 239 windows 1, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 1456, 149, 160, 168
40, 250, 267 9, 189, 192, 194, 229, 248, 250, 3157
seat covers ...........................1234, 135, 152, 316 windshield .. 1, 2, 8, 112, 178, 32, 37, 601, 63,
seat heating............. 123, 133, 140, 173, 181, 223 66, 6970, 77, 90, 303, 316
rear............................................. 137, 140, 239 windshield washers .....2, 8, 11, 12, 17, 32, 37, 60,
seat, passenger........................................ 117, 173 61, 63, 66, 303
seatbacks .. 5, 1235, 1287, 1401, 1524, 175, wipers.......................... 1, 2, 9, 11, 17, 426, 697
2017, 2113, 227, 235, 239, 240, 250, 267, wire contacts................................................... 305
275 wire-contact-removing tool ............................. 301
seatbelts ....... 5, 13, 143, 170, 215, 217, 221, 223, wood trim ......................5, 93, 967, 99, 102, 145
225, 230, 233, 235, 240, 243 Zinc ................................................................ 208

The E34 Factory Options
Retrofit Guide
This DIY-er guide shows how to retrofit the

various factory options to the E34, many of which
are rare or available originally only on cars
supplied outside the United States. The guide
covers most of the two dozen options available for
the E34, from the integral sunshades to the
headlight washers and seat memory, and takes the
reader step by step through the retrofits,
describing the parts needed, tools to use, wiring to
be done, and installation steps to be followed.
The guide features full-color photographs

illustrating the retrofit steps and showing useful
views of how the cars are put together. The text
comprehensively covers the steps based on actual
retrofits, provides tips not covered in factory
instructions, part numbers, and descriptions of
factory and other useful reference materials.
The retrofits can all be done by a hobbyist without

mechanics training. Where modifications to wiring
are needed (the cars are often pre-wired), the text
explains how to do so. Parts for the retrofits are
usually readily available from commercial or
second-hand sources, or even new from the
factory. The guide provides project profiles that
rate each retrofits coolness, utility, difficulty, cost,
and installation time, so the reader can pick and
choose which options to add and when.
Also included are descriptions of many fun or useful accessories requiring minimal installation that are available for
these vehicles.
The introduction to the book provides a comprehensive description of the special features optional or not that made
these cars such outstanding luxury vehicles, on top of their reliability, solidity, performance, and beauty.
The guide is authored by hobbyist Marcus Corbin, who peformed the retrofits on his Lazur Blue 1992 535i.

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E34 Factory Options Guide

i 2010 Marcus Corbin

The author gratefully dedicates this book to Caroline and Russell,

This document is copyrighted 2010 by Marcus Corbin.

ii 2010 Marcus Corbin

2010 Marcus Corbin iii

Drivers Glove Box

Front Heated Seats

iv 2010 Marcus Corbin

Rear Reading Lights

Rear Fog Lights

2010 Marcus Corbin v

vi 2010 Marcus Corbin

2010 Marcus Corbin vii

viii 2010 Marcus Corbin

Lighted keys, wallet key, valet key

Heated door lock

Windows and sunroof close from outside

Automatic wiper speed adjustment

Programmable intermittent wiper interval

2010 Marcus Corbin 1

Wiper pressure variable with vehicle speed

Intensive windshield cleaning system

Rearview mirror parking adjust

Parked-car ventilation system

Parked-car independent heating system

Floor mat clips

2 2010 Marcus Corbin

Leather steering wheel, with power telescoping adjustment

Leather or wood gearshift knobs

Automatically-dimming rearview mirror

Stratified heating/fresh air

Individual front map lights

Instrumentation and warnings

Other fluid warnings:

2010 Marcus Corbin 3

Outside temperature display

A warning can be set for reaching a pre-selected speed

Fuel consumption gauge

4 2010 Marcus Corbin

Seat and mirror memory

Power front seat-base height and angle

Power front headrests

Front seat heating

Automatically-adjusting seatbelt height

Power lumbar supports

Power thigh support5

Rear seat heating

Rear power headrests

Outboard rear seatbelt latches

One-touch window operation6

Individual temperature control for driver and front passenger

Microfilter for interior air

Automatic recirculation control

Automatically-illuminating interior lights

Lighted vanity mirrors with sliding covers

Leather seats and door paneling

Front passenger-footwell storage net

CD changer with cover

6 2010 Marcus Corbin

Refrigerator in rear armrest

Air vents for rear passenger area

Rear reading lights